Player Watch Pick #12 (2018) - Zak Butters

Wot are they a vegan family?

Nah. A close family, his mum used to make all his meals so he just ate what was infront of him without thinking about the high performance aspect. He's just been underfed calorie wise for his activity level.

His numbers were pretty good when he rocked up at the club, and the HP guys are absolutely thrilled with the upside he has with a proper holistic approach to his performance.
 
So many of last years first round picks look amazing. We definitely hit jackpot getting 3 of them.

Don't you go praising anything our club does. It's a dangerous game around here.
 
Incredibly impressive. Maybe not such a short term loss on the Polec trade after all.

We got Rozee from the Polec (and Pittard and a bunch of other picks) trade. Butters was drafted with our original first rounder.
 

It Just Is

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Can suck it!
We got Rozee from the Polec (and Pittard and a bunch of other picks) trade. Butters was drafted with our original first rounder.
Yes, I’m aware how convoluted it gets trying to compare players in and out.

We traded Polec for pick 13 (11+2 academy) and drafted Butters with pick 12, they play similar roles, and in my head I can construe this to be a positive outcome. So Butters > Polec stands.
 

The Grover

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He is slight because his whole family is slight. His mum is a tiny little thing. Our HP group know he's slight because he wasn't fed enough. Now he's at the club He's getting fueled like a pro athlete and what we are seeing is only the beginning.
His mum is tiny, his dad is maybe 6ft ?

He probably was a bit lucky he got to 180+

Not surprised he did so well, he does special things on footy field.
 

Tibbs

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Zac butters has a slight frame, but he is by no means small at 181cm. By small I mean Betts, Lachie Neale, Zorko, Ballantyne, et-al, who are all circa 175cm.

The club will add some bulk to his frame as they did with a skinny Robby Gray, and he will be fine. He just needs to be carefully managed over the next few years as he does ... He is a super talent, who IMO on what I have seen so early, can exceed the amazing career of Robbie Gray
 

Tibbs

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1000% agree with that! People are pouring water on it to quell the expectations on the lad (rightly so), but I dont have to! When you see the qualities he displayed in his very first game, with his frame still so light ... If stay injury free, Butters career will end up light-years ahead of Ballantyne's.
 
The Tsier sports front page article headline is different to the one when you open up the article. I hope Butters doesn't get pigeonholed as just a pest because he liked the way Ballantyne plays. What I saw on Saturday shows he is a whole lot better than a - just being a pest type player.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/spor...t/news-story/947302a43da2df884da937f1841d0409
Zak Butters promises to bring the pressure to Port
It was on draft night in November when Butters nominated Fremantle small forward and antagonist Ballantyne as the player he shares most similarities with, and in Port’s internal trial game last month when he got under the skin of co-captain Tom Jonas and Billy Frampton who both roughed him up.
....
He has also emerged as a perfectionist with Hinkley revealing Butters was immediately critiquing his own game on Saturday. “He just spoke to me after the game and said ‘my last four or five minutes I was a little disappointed because I pride myself on groundball’ and he fumbled a couple, so he’s a pro already, he’s going to be OK,” Hinkley said.



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Black 18

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He was very impressive, so natural.

Looks pretty much like and old time Rover to me. Clean, composed, quick decision maker and skillful.

Early days. Many more tests to come so who knows what level he'll actually get to but the most important thing I took away from the game is he looks like a footballer, plays like a footballer, and that is a great place to start.
 

Macca_1870

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There were a couple of passages of play where it seemed as though his brain was working far quicker than his body, where the potential for poor disposal can occur (the handball to Motlop deep in the pocket in the last quarter comes to mind). It will take time for him to adjust to the pace of the game, and for him to realise the fact that he does buy himself time with instinctive positioning and his pace.

Early days, but I love what he brings to the side. A very natural footballer.
 
Oct 7, 2005
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Are there other teams?
He was very impressive, so natural.

Looks pretty much like and old time Rover to me. Clean, composed, quick decision maker and skillful.

Early days. Many more tests to come so who knows what level he'll actually get to but the most important thing I took away from the game is he looks like a footballer, plays like a footballer, and that is a great place to start.

Yes, the player he reminds me most of is Brian Cunningham- the balance, the size, the foot skills and even the looks. Just has to develop a left as good as his right foot.
 

davo999

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Yes, the player he reminds me most of is Brian Cunningham- the balance, the size, the foot skills and even the looks. Just has to develop a left as good as his right foot.
Hope you’re right . Bucky was an amazing player and real classy, one of the best two sided players ever .
 

woffy

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...
Zak Butters promises to bring the pressure to Port
....He has also emerged as a perfectionist with Hinkley revealing Butters was immediately critiquing his own game on Saturday. “He just spoke to me after the game and said ‘my last four or five minutes I was a little disappointed because I pride myself on groundball’ and he fumbled a couple, so he’s a pro already, he’s going to be OK,” Hinkley said.
Hope that means Hinkley will leave him alone & not corrupt his pure football.
 
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