Butters considered revealing Port Adelaide exit during final season

Western Bulldogs recruit Zak Butters says he considered announcing his intention to leave Port Adelaide for Victoria before his final season with the Power was over. The Bulldogs introduced him at Whitten Oval on 12 October 2026 after signing him to a nine-year deal worth A$2 million a season.

Butters said discussions with Port Adelaide after the previous season meant he knew he would depart with a year remaining on his contract. He raised the possibility of making his plans public with his manager, Peter Lenton, but felt the AFL was not ready for that approach.

He said he believed he could maintain his commitment to training and playing after such an announcement, and suggested greater flexibility in future would not be a bad thing.

NRL players can sign with another club during their contract's final year, or sooner with permission. In the AFL, players whose contracts are ending can formally switch clubs only during the off-season through the available player-movement processes.

Geelong, Collingwood and Richmond also pursued the three-time All Australian. Butters denied that he or his management had told Geelong it was his preferred destination. He said his final choice came after Port Adelaide's season, when he returned to his family's property at Darley.

The Bulldogs' approach drew on his childhood support for the club. Butters said a handwritten appeal from 11-year-old Hunter Zerafa, containing a 20-cent coin, brought back memories of attending training and having birthday parties at Whitten Oval.