Port Adelaide has one final shot at overturning Zak Butters’ $1,500 fine for verbally abusing umpire Nick Foot on Monday evening, as they take their arguments to the AFL’s Appeal Board. Live from 5pm AEST!
The Power are expected to try and clear their superstar’s name by arguing the Tribunal held a “compromised” hearing last Tuesday, which saw member Jason Johnson deliberate from the front seat of a car last week.
Watch every match of every round of the AFL Premiership Season LIVE and ad-break free during play on FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Follow our live coverage of Zak Butters’ Appeal in our blog below! Can’t see the blog?Tap here
Both Butters and the club are defiant in their belief the 25-year-old did no wrong, and are expected to argue that no sensible tribunal could find him guilty. Additionally, they will almost certainly argue an error in law under the appeals process.
Senior Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph posted on X: “Port Adelaide will raise the “compromised” nature of the tribunal process as they try to appeal the Butters fine on multiple grounds. The rushed hearing and 5.45pm deadline, the jury members listening from the car, the fact the usual tribunal chairman was on another case.”
The Tribunal found the stand-in Power captain asked Foot “how much are they paying you?” after a contentious free kick was awarded to St Kilda in Gather Round.
Foot took that as a suggestion he was being paid by the Saints and a shot at his integrity.
Butters told the Tribunal he said “surely that’s not a free kick”, and his case was backed up by nearby teammate Ollie Wines.
In the end though, the decisive factor going against Butters was the discrepancy between how many comments he claimed to have made, and how many comments Foot and Wines said he made — which saw the Tribunal deem his evidence inconsistent.
Discussion about this post