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"They can't leave it too much longer" | Decision time looming for Butters (21.05.26)
20 May 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What decision does Zak Butters need to make regarding his future?
Talking about the pointy end, is it getting to the pointy end where Zach Butters needs to tell Port Adelaide what he's doing?
I want to talk about this. I don't know how many Port fans I've got, but footy fans in general. Port Adelaide have got to get on with the business of running the Port Adelaide Footy Club, and Zach Butters is the biggest part of that right now. And if he's there, great. Then it affects what they're able to do in the trade market or try and identify players and talent and all that sort of stuff.
If he's staying... That's a fair chunk of your salary cap. That's a fair chunk of your midfield. Those sorts of decisions are made.
Chapter 2: How does Zak Butters' decision impact Port Adelaide's trade strategy?
If he's going, then it becomes even more important that they understand that there's a time put on when he can say yes or no because then they've got to get in the market. So if they're interested in Zach Bailey, for instance, who's one of the hottest and the South Australian clubs are said to be interested, why wouldn't you be? He's the star of the competition.
They need to know what they're playing with. Now, yeah, Koshi and Neymar turn around and say, well, we can get Zach Bailey and keep Zach Butters. Well, that might be okay. But you know what I mean? At some stage, you have to have some sort of clear understanding as a footy club. You can't wait until the end of the year. I mean, there's all sorts of decisions you've got to make in the process.
Chapter 3: What emotional factors are involved in Zak Butters' decision-making process?
You know, you might want to ā okay, if Zach decides he's going in a month ā And he said ā he's quoted as saying ahead of his 150th game, it's the time to make a decision is imminent. These are his quotes. It's going to be a pretty emotional decision one way or the other, and it's something I need to start having conversations with family and friends.
So he understands that there's a degree of urgency in it. So I'm sure Port Adelaide will do everything for him. They'll give him as much leeway and time, and they'll provide him with as much information as they possibly can, and they'll put the big offer onto him. But at some stage in the coming month ā
I think they need to know because they've got to get on with the business of running Port Adelaide.
You don't think there's a world in which he knows now that he's moving on, Zach Butters, and maybe he's even told Port Adelaide, but they've had an agreement between the two that they won't make any announcement until the season's almost done?
Chapter 4: What urgency does Port Adelaide face in finalizing Zak Butters' status?
Well, of course I don't know that, but it doesn't feel to me like that's the case because when you see Josh Carr speak and you hear David Koch speak... Again, how would I know? I don't know the answer to that, Tim. If that's the case, then they can say, Gary, you don't know what you're talking about, fair enough. And I'd say, yep, I don't, because I don't understand.
But if he hasn't, don't you think he has to make up his mind soon?
Yeah, I do. I do. But I actually... I do think that he's already made up his mind. Now, I don't know what he's... Whether he's conveyed it.
Chapter 5: What are the implications of Butters staying or leaving for the team's structure?
I'm pretty sure that he's going. I can't see... I can't see him staying at Port Adelaide. I can't. So I think he's made up his mind. Whether or not he's told them he's made up his mind, I don't know. So the danger field... I think they would assume... I think they would assume...
By the level of discussions they've had to this point, and he hasn't committed to them, I think they would assume that there's a stronger likelihood that he's going as opposed to staying.
Yeah, and they're going to get into the process.
They do get the ability, though, to match the offer, though, too.
Yeah, well, I was about to say, they're going to get into the process of saying, we're going to match every offer.
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Chapter 6: How are Port Adelaide preparing for the possibility of Butters leaving?
Mm-hmm. It doesn't matter what offer you can put out, we're going to match it. That's what they're on the record as saying. Josh Carr said that last week, I think. Give us your best offer in the world. We're matching it. And then we'll get into the tin tacks of how you can make it work if, in fact, he wants to go. They're big conversations to be had. No, they're huge conversations.
And the whole structure of your list and what Zach Butters is to that team right now and what they are without him is worlds apart.
Chapter 7: What alternative options do Port Adelaide have if Butters decides to leave?
So therefore, you've got to go and try and fill that massive hole. And therefore, you need time because you've got to go and identify players that you might want to go after. You can't do that in the last minute because you go, I want to get into Bailey and Bailey might be interested, but then he's gone.
No, but you're playing scenarios out now. I am. You have to. No, no, no, they are. They are playing those scenarios out now. So they're not going to wait until the end and then find out what's going on. They've already got their strategy in place, okay? Oh, sure. A, B, C, D. This is whatever it might be, and then they've got to choose a path, and then they've got their planning in place.
This is what Zach Butters had to say yesterday.
Yeah, it definitely comes into it. It's obviously a big decision. You think about everything, like even with Darcy and Oli in the room now, and I think Oli come to the club same time I roughly got to the club. So, yeah, you definitely feel that there's emotion attached to it.
Definitely, I think, yeah, no matter what the decision is, it's going to be a pretty emotional one from my end, no matter what I do. So I definitely take all that into it.
Yeah. So I'm working on the assumption he hasn't told them. Maybe he has, in which case this is all moot. But they might want to get into the Lockheed Neal market. Yeah, well, maybe that is like, okay, Zach, we need to know because Lockie, I don't know if he's going or not, but Lockie might be a gettable. Now, Lockie might end up at Adelaide.
He might end up somewhere in Melbourne or he might end up in Perth. But if he's available and they see him as someone that can help bridge the gap of no Zach for two years, well, they can't leave it too much longer, Wisp.
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