Port Adelaide star Zak Butters is renowned as one of the AFL’s best trash talkers.
Cameras often pick up Butters having a laugh as he gives some words of wisdom to his opposition.
Luckily for the 23-year-old, he has the game to back it up, having won All-Australian honours, Port Adelaide’s best and fairest and the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award in 2023.
Butters says chatting on-field has always been a part of his game harking back to his days as a junior.
“I think growing up, I played in the Ballarat Football League, everyone sort of knows each other or goes to school with each other,” Butters told Sportsday SA.
“On game day, there’s always something to say and words getting thrown around.
“I think I enjoyed that part growing up and all of my mates went to St Patrick’s, but I didn’t go there so they sort of always fed me the info (about our opposition).
“I enjoyed it growing up and I think it just keeps me involved in the game if anything.”
As well as keeping himself involved in the game, Butters likes to chat with his opponents to try and find out a bit more about them.
He named known Western Bulldogs talker Tom Liberatore as one of his favourites to go back and forth with.
As for his Port Adelaide teammates, Butters says star defender Dan Houston rates himself as a bit of an on-field chatterbox.
“It’s good when you come up against other teams, you find out the characters,” Butters said.
“I love playing against ‘Libba’ (Liberatore) and his chat, he’s very good at it. He sort of gave me a few lessons early on in his career.
“You find out people’s characters and I just like listening to ‘Libba’ chirp me, to be honest, he comes up with some pretty good stuff.
“Underrated is Dan Houston, he thinks he’s pretty good. He flies under the radar, he seems like a pretty cool, calm operator, but he’s pretty wise and cheeky with his words.”
In more serious matters, Butters was recently announced as club vice-captain for the 2024 season to support new skipper Connor Rozee.
While he doesn’t have any leadership experience, Butters says he’ll try and follow in the example set to him by several senior heads at Alberton who helped him develop into the player he’s become.
“I was never a leader in my junior ranks or captained teams very often,” Butters said.
“For me, I think it’s about my performance, my leadership 101 is making sure your backyard is getting looked after, that you’re performing and setting an example on-field through your actions.
“That’s probably the main one I’ll try and stick to. For me it’s about growing and helping younger players, like Trav (Boak), Ollie (Wines), Darcy Byrne-Jones, Hamish Hartlett and Justin Westhoff did for me when I was younger.
“I want to pass that wisdom and knowledge down. I’ve had some great leaders to lean on and Tom Jonas has been a vital part of that as well.
“It’s about helping the younger boys come through.”
Butters and Port Adelaide begin their 2024 campaign with a Round 1 clash against West Coast at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, March 17.