Zak James Butters (born 8 September 2000) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Butters won the AFLCA champion player of the year award in 2023, and is a dual All-Australian, three-time John Cahill Medallist and dual Robert Rose Award winner.
| Zak Butters | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Butters playing for Port Adelaide in 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Zak James Butters[1] | ||
| Born | 8 September 2000 | ||
| Original team | Western Jets (TAC Cup) | ||
| Draft | No. 12, 2018 national draft | ||
| Debut | Round 1, 2019, Port Adelaide vs. Melbourne, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground | ||
| Height | 181 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Weight | 78 kg (172 lb) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Port Adelaide | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2019– | Port Adelaide | 152 (72) | |
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 2026 | Victoria | 1 (1) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 14, 2026. 2 Representative statistics correct as of 2026. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Early life
Butters grew up in Darley[2] and attended Bacchus Marsh College [3]and later Maribyrnong College as part of their selective sports academy. Zak Butters played for the Western Jets in the TAC Cup.[4]
As a child, he supported the Western Bulldogs.[5]
AFL career
He was recruited by Port Adelaide with the 12th draft pick in the 2018 AFL draft.[6]
Butters made his AFL debut in a win over Melbourne in the opening round of the 2019 AFL season kicking two goals.[7] He was named in the 40-man All Australian squad in 2020.[8] Following Robbie Gray's retirement in 2022, Butters changed his guernsey number from 18 to 9.[9]
A superb season in 2023 saw Butters earn a maiden All-Australian selection, as well as win the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award with 109 votes. Butters finished his season with his first John Cahill Medal, awarded to Port Adelaide's best and fairest throughout the season.[10] Prior to the 2024 season, Butters was made vice-captain of the club underneath fellow draftee Connor Rozee.[11]
In round 19 of 2024, Butters made history by becoming the most fined player in the history of the AFL's Match Review, overtaking Toby Greene with a double fine against Richmond.[12] Butters won his first Showdown Medal in Showdown LVI against cross-town rival Adelaide.[13] Butters' 42 disposals was the most of any individual in a Showdown. Butters won his second John Cahill Medal as Port Adelaide's best and fairest in 2024.
In 2025, Butters won his third consecutive Best and Fairest at Port Adelaide.[14]
Umpire controversy
On April 12, 2026, during Gather Round against St Kilda, Butters was involved in an on-field altercation with field umpire Nick Foot following a holding free kick, with allegations raised regarding verbal remarks made during the incident. Foot stated that Butters said, “How much are they paying you?”, which he interpreted as questioning his integrity, and awarded a 50-metre penalty in favour of St Kilda, while Butters maintained that he instead asked a question relating to the decision itself.[15] Port Adelaide chairman David Koch described the situation as a “miscommunication”, stating that Butters had asked, “Why did you pay that free kick?”, rather than making any comment questioning the umpire’s integrity.[16] Two days later Butters was found guilty of umpire abuse at the AFL Tribunal and fined $1,500, despite Butters and teammate Ollie Wines maintaining that no abusive language was used.[17]
Statistics
Updated to the end of round 14, 2026.[18]
G |
Goals | K |
Kicks | D |
Disposals | T |
Tackles |
B |
Behinds | H |
Handballs | M |
Marks |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2019 | Port Adelaide | 18 | 19 | 12 | 7 | 137 | 132 | 269 | 51 | 48 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 14.2 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0 |
| 2020[a] | Port Adelaide | 18 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 129 | 119 | 248 | 55 | 47 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 7.6 | 7.0 | 14.6 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 2 |
| 2021 | Port Adelaide | 18 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 111 | 114 | 225 | 50 | 42 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 9.3 | 9.5 | 18.8 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 1 |
| 2022 | Port Adelaide | 18 | 20 | 10 | 9 | 250 | 193 | 443 | 79 | 75 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 12.5 | 9.7 | 22.2 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3 |
| 2023 | Port Adelaide | 9 | 25 | 13 | 8 | 361 | 326 | 687 | 126 | 86 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 14.4 | 13.0 | 27.5 | 5.0 | 3.4 | 27 |
| 2024 | Port Adelaide | 9 | 26 | 13 | 13 | 370 | 335 | 705 | 123 | 107 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 14.2 | 12.9 | 27.1 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 29 |
| 2025 | Port Adelaide | 9 | 20 | 1 | 6 | 272 | 287 | 559 | 71 | 102 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 13.6 | 14.4 | 28.0 | 3.6 | 5.1 | 21 |
| 2026 | Port Adelaide | 9 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 212 | 180 | 392 | 42 | 54 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 16.3 | 13.8 | 30.2 | 3.2 | 4.2 | |
| Career | 152 | 72 | 59 | 1842 | 1686 | 3528 | 597 | 561 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 12.1 | 11.1 | 23.2 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 83 | ||
Notes
- ↑ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Honours and achievements
Team
Representative
Individual
- AFLCA champion player of the year: 2023
- 2× All-Australian team: 2023, 2024
- 3× John Cahill Medal: 2023, 2024, 2025
- 2× Robert Rose Award: 2023, 2024
- Showdown Medal: 2024 (game 2)
- Peter Badcoe VC Medal: 2025
References
- ↑ @PAFC (15 January 2025). "the more you know 😂" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ↑ "Butters named in AFL Origin team". portadelaidefc.com.au. 13 November 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ↑ "How the 'Energiser Bunny' made his mark on AFL". The West Australian. 2 April 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ↑ "Tomorrow's Heroes: Cool-headed Jet is an elite ball user". www.afc.com.au. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ↑ Capel, Andrew. "Small in stature, Port Adelaide's Zak Butters has a big heart, thanks to some advice from dad". Adelaide now. Adelaide Now. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
- ↑ "Port Adelaide select Zak Butters with pick 12". portadelaidefc.com.au. 22 November 2018.
- ↑ "AFL Round 1: Melbourne vs Port Adelaide, win, Ken Hinkley reaction, press conference, Jack Watts". Fox Sports. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
- ↑ "Revealed: 20yo bolter Zak Butters joins superstars in 40-man All-Australian squad". Fox Sports. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ↑ "Gray: Zak came to mind straight away". 22 November 2022.
- ↑ "Butters takes out first John Cahill Medal". portadelaidefc.com.au. 9 October 2023.
- ↑ Twomey, Callum (11 December 2023). "Mega-contract star to skipper Power in new era of leadership". afl.com.au.
- ↑ Beveridge, Riley (22 July 2024). "The AFL's most fined: Butters' bill hits record level". afl.com.au.
- ↑ "Showdown 56 Medal Votes". afc.com.au. 17 August 2024.
- ↑ "Zak's hat-trick: Gun midfielder wins John Cahill Medal as Power's best". AFL Media. 2 September 2025.
- ↑ "Butters' alleged umpire remark revealed, Port slams official for post-match snub". afl.com.au. 13 April 2026. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
- ↑ "Butters asked 'why did you pay that?', Koch says". ABC News. 14 April 2026. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
- ↑ "Butters found guilty of abusing umpire as Port claims 'glaring hole in the evidence'". ABC News. 14 April 2026. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
- ↑ "Zak Butters". AFL Tables. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
External links
- Zak Butters's profile on the official website of the Port Adelaide Football Club
- Zak Butters's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Zak Butters at AustralianFootball.com
