26. Sam Butler (2004 - 2017)

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Oct 27, 2006
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AFL Club
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Details
Number 26
Height 187cm
Weight 82Kg
DOB 14-01-1986
Debut 2004 Round 10 Vs Richmond

Player honours: NAB AFL Rising Star nominee 2004; premiership side 2006.
Draft history: 2003 NAB AFL Draft 2nd round selection (West Coast) No. 20 overall traded by Geelong for David Haynes and No. 42 (Matthew Spencer).
 
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Sam Butler had a mixed 2012 in terms of performance. Having endured many injury-affected seasons over the course of his career, he actually started 2012 fit and healthy. However, he was not selected to play at AFL level for the first four rounds of the season, and found himself playing for his WAFL team, Perth. He played several solid games for Perth before he was finally selected to play for the Eagles against Richmond in Round 5.

In total he played 14 senior games during 2012, including both finals. From memory he only missed a couple of games because of injury, which I think would be one of his better years on the injury front.

He averaged 12.6 kicks per game, 4.5 handballs, 5.2 marks and 2.3 tackles. He also averaged 71 Dream Team points, and based on his dream team ratings his two best games for the year would appear to be the Round 15 match against North Melbourne in Hobart, and the Round 22 Match against Collingwood at Subiaco. He was quite prominent in this game, and even snapped a good goal.

At his best, Butler is a good reader of the play, a reliable defender who is able to set up play from the backline, and is generally a composed and skilful user of the ball. He has acknowledged that he can go into his shell a bit, especially when he is coming back from one of his numerous injuries. At times during 2012 the match committee asked him to work on his involvement in the play, and his ability to have an impact on the contest, and he had to work on this at WAFL level before earning a spot at AFL level.

Midway through 2012 Sam signed a new contract with West Coast, keeping him at the Eagles until the end of 2014.
 
Sam Butler's mother, Pam Stratford has embraced the Eagles cause as well, and was one of a number of player's mothers who became involved in the Tabitha Project. Following the 2011 club championships, she was the driving force behind a group of MOPS (Mothers of Players) who raised money for the project in Cambodia. They also paid their own way to Cambodia to lend assistance on the ground in a number of ways, and have also raised money for another charity. They have plans to raise enough money to build a school there.

http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/news/2012-11-10/mops-make-a-mark
 
Sam Butler and Beau Waters are great mates, having both been drafted from South Australia in 2003, and having both been part of the 2006 premiership team. However, they have both suffered from a terrible injury curse which has meant that despite playing 154 games between them (as of May 2011), they have only played together 23 times!

See the full story here:

http://www.watoday.com.au/afl/west-coast-pair-pray-for-lucky-break-20110514-1en3h.html
 
In an excellent analysis of our list at footy tragic.com/blog Scotty Barby had the following to say about Sam Butler:

"Making up the Eagles back six is reliable user Sam Butler. Butler averaged 2.5 rebound fifties per game in 2012 but his value stems from his disposal, specifically his kicking skills. Of Butler's 245 disposals last seasons 191 were effective with 72% coming via foot and just 33 resulting in turnovers. It highlights a West Coast side whose usage is arguably the best in the AFL."
 
Round 1:

Sam was not selected to play for West Coast in Round 1 of the season. He did however play for Perth in Round 3 of the WAFL fixtures in their match against South Fremantle on Saturday 30 March.

His stats for the game were as follows:

20 Kicks, 9 Handballs, 11 Marks and 3 tackles.

From various reports he played very well and was one of Perth's best players. Hopefully a recall to the Eagles awaits him this weekend, as his poise and quality disposal will be useful in a tough match against Hawthorn.
 
Well, it has been a while since I posted an update on Sam, mostly because there hasn't been anything particularly exciting to write about. However, to bring things up to date, his stats to Round 9 are:

Round 2: V Hawthorn
7 kicks, 12 handballs, 3 marks, 0 goals, 0 behinds, 2 tackles, 0 Inside 50

Round 3: V Melbourne
8 kicks, 7 handballs, 4 marks, 0 goals, 0 behinds, 4 tackles, 1 I50

Round 4: Carlton
8 kicks, 5 handballs, 3 marks, 0 goals, 0 behinds, 4 tackles, 0 I50

Round 5: Port Adelaide
16 kicks, 7 handballs, 8 marks, 0 goals, 0 behinds, 4 tackles, 2 I50

Round 9: GWS
12 kicks, 6 handballs, 5 marks, 1 goal, 1 behind, 1 I50
​
In a typical Sam Butler season, he has missed a couple of games from minor soft tissue injuries, and has continued the curse that prevents him playing in the same team as his best mate, Beau Waters, for more than one or two games per year. He kicked a nice goal in the romp against GWS, and his stats would seem to show that he played pretty well in the disaster against Port Adelaide, though fortunately I was overseas and missed that debacle. His strengths are his composure and tidy delivery, and these make his presence in the team generally worthwhile, but he does seem to struggle to have a significant impact in games, perhaps due to his propensity to get injured regularly.​
 

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Would love for him to get to 150/life membership. Is 27 this year so 52 games in possibly 3 or 4 and a bit seasons?
 
ioppolo said:
Would love for him to get to 150/life membership. Is 27 this year so 52 games in possibly 3 or 4 and a bit seasons?
Click to expand...


I just can't see him doing it with his body so fragile. That and others who will eventually overtake him.
 
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