Zak Butters open to changes in AFL player movement rules

Western Bulldogs recruit Zak Butters has suggested changes to the AFL's player movement rules could be beneficial for the league. Butters joined the Bulldogs on a nine-year deal worth $2 million a season after leaving Port Adelaide.

Butters contemplated going public with his planned move home to Victoria while playing out his final season at Port Adelaide. He had open conversations with the club at the end of last season and discussed going public with his plans with manager Peter Lenton.

"I definitely contemplated and thought about that," the midfielder said. "But I think the AFL landscape isn't probably quite ready for it."

The AFL system is more restrictive than the NRL, with listed players coming off contract only able to officially move in the off-season through trade, free agency, drafts and the supplemental selection period.

"The way I play football and the way I train, I feel like I'd be able to show up and front up and do it," Butters said. "But definitely, I feel like in the future, I couldn't see why it wouldn't be a bad thing."

Butters, a three-time All Australian, was strongly courted by the Bulldogs, Geelong, Collingwood and Richmond throughout the year. He denied he or his management ever indicated to Geelong they were his first preference.

"I guess I probably took my time to do that," Butters said. "It's a pretty long contract and it's probably the rest of my career so I wanted to make sure I get it right."

"I probably leaned towards different clubs at different stages but, ultimately, I got to where I wanted to get to."

The Bulldogs pulled heavily on Butters's heartstrings in their pitch, drawing on his boyhood fandom for the club. A handwritten letter from 11-year-old Hunter Zerafa, accompanied by a 20-cent coin taped inside, begged Butters to pick the Bulldogs and revived childhood memories.

"I thought back to when I was younger and loving Bulldogs players and looking up to them and coming down to open trainings," Butters said. "I used to have birthday parties at Whitten Oval when I was a kid."

"I've still got the letter at home, and the 20 cents is still in there. I might have to invest it."