The ‘Butters rule’ the AFL should introduce to fix a shonky system

September 9, 2026 — 4:34pm

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

It is conceivable that Zak Butters will choose to play for Geelong, and that the Cats will not give up anything – not even their first draft choice – for one of the best four or five players in the competition.

The same can happen if Butters nominates the Western Bulldogs, an outcome that will cause fewer howls of indignation from the football public and some rival clubs, even though the scenario isn’t much different – that of a team around contention picking up a champion without losing any draft capital, nor player of value.

Due to the caprices of the free agency rules, Port Adelaide will find it difficult to source a better deal than pick No.5 for Butters, which is what the Power are entitled to in compensation if they do not match an offer for him.

Last week the dogs were barking, so to speak, that Geelong were in pole position for Butters. But whether he picks the Cats or Bulldogs (it would be staggering if he picked Richmond now), the Butters and Ben King exits have exposed a serious flaw in the AFL’s free agency system.

Buttering up the Power: The Cat-and-Dog fight to land an AFL superstar

The flaws – and detrimental impact on equalisation in the AFL – are such........

© The Sydney Morning Herald