Restricted Free Agent Zak Butters

[CatToTheFuture]

Well, then he would end up at Port anyway. We can cover any price he puts on his head.

There are only two certainties. Butters will not be nominating for any drafts and if he walks he's not turning around and coming back.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Ask your dogs recruiter mate then why they didnt trade there 2025 1st into 2026 if they were truly serious about it.

Would have been difficult to trade for a pick this year given how last draft was rated

 

[CatToTheFuture]

3 is correct but you still have to do the deal. If the club who wants him is paying less than market value in salary and isn’t near the bottom of the ladder, they better come with a great trade.

Think about the Tim Kelly deal Geelong got. The only reason that happened is because Freo was below WC on the ladder so they had to pay up. Same with Jackson to Freo in reverse.

On TK too, the cats actually asked for a single top 10 pick. WCE couldn't get one so cats got everything they were putting on the table to try secure one

 

[KanesBurner]

Like all the other players that walked to the draft and got picked up by a club they refused to talk to? I must have missed the bit where Richmond or West Coast took ah chee last year.

Yeah I think you’ve missed the mark on this one. The gulf in talent is immense. Butters walks into any of those clubs as the best player and they’ll hold his contract for 8 year-ish. They could take him and trade him a year later worst case for a haul. It’d be negligence to not take him.

If your club finally bottomed out and you could take Butters for free, you’d riot if they passed on him. I’d hope Port re-draft him and say we’ll trade you contracted next year.

BUT none of this will happen because there’s too much at stake for all involved.

 

[Ash1337]

Yeah I think you’ve missed the mark on this one. The gulf in talent is immense. Butters walks into any of those clubs as the best player and they’ll hold his contract for 8 year-ish. They could take him and trade him a year later worst case for a haul. It’d be negligence to not take him.

If your club finally bottomed out and you could take Butters for free, you’d riot if they passed on him. I’d hope Port re-draft him and say we’ll trade you contracted next year.

BUT none of this will happen because there’s too much at stake for all involved.

There hasn't been a player that walked to the PSD yet that was taken by another team other than his desired club.

 

[KanesBurner]

There hasn't been a player that walked to the PSD yet that was taken by another team other than his desired club.

Nick Stevens. John McCarthy was too but I believe he was a DFA. That’s just ones involving Port, not sure about other clubs tbh.

Elite level players rarely make it to the PSD and I’d assume the main factor is contract costs I.e Luke Ball. Not sure that’s a factor with the bottom teams with regards to a player like Butters.

No team had won a flag from 7th until your team did. There’s always a first (or second) time for everything.

 

[Northernsoul74]

El Souki’s rapid rise up the draft boards complicates things for the Dogs.

 

[Bald]

El Souki’s rapid rise up the draft boards complicates things for the Dogs.

Cal Twomey today on Gettable has said there are teams looking at our list similar to how Carlton did with Sydney and Florent and Hayward, and whether they can pry players out to get Dogs the picks they need to make the moves they need. I have no doubt that if Butters nominates us, we will get him and El Souki, but I fully expect to be upset by players leaving.

Cal mentioned players in the Bailey Williams ilk (not superstars, but not plodders either).

 

[Foxman98]

Cal Twomey today on Gettable has said there are teams looking at our list similar to how Carlton did with Sydney and Florent and Hayward, and whether they can pry players out to get Dogs the picks they need to make the moves they need. I have no doubt that if Butters nominates us, we will get him and El Souki, but I fully expect to be upset by players leaving.

Cal mentioned players in the Bailey Williams ilk (not superstars, but not plodders either).

We don't have much to look at outside of Truck

Busslinger/Khamis/Garcia types maybe

 

[scotty13]

There are only two certainties. Butters will not be nominating for any drafts and if he walks he's not turning around and coming back.

So you're saying he would retire before going back to Port?

 

[CatToTheFuture]

So you're saying he would retire before going back to Port?

No, I'm saying you would trade him