Bulldogs sign Butters after contentious five-club deal

Callum Godde and Anna Harrington | October 9, 2026

Zak Butters has signed the most lucrative contract in AFL history with a blockbuster move to the Western Bulldogs.

Port Adelaide opted not to match the Bulldogs’ free agency bid for the running machine on Friday, accepting pick No.5 as compensation.

A three-time All-Australian, Butters has reportedly signed a historic nine-year contract worth some $2 million a season.

The 26-year-old midfielder caught the football world off-guard when he requested a trade to the Bulldogs after being strongly linked to Geelong.

A boyhood Bulldogs supporter from Darley, west of Melbourne, Butters said the move had been a long time coming.

“For a few years I probably thought it was never going to be possible,” he said in a statement.

His arrival at the Bulldogs is a significant boost to their 2027 premiership chances, with star forward Sam Darcy set to return from injury.

“It’s an exciting stage for our football club,” Butters said.

“Hopefully we can really challenge.”

The Butters deal follows the league approving a mega trade involving Port Adelaide, the Bulldogs, Melbourne, Hawthorn and Carlton, two players and scores of draft picks.

The AFL had warned clubs side deals would not be allowed alongside compensation picks, unless the trade stood up on its own.

Port explored trading Todd Marshall to the Bulldogs for two first-round draft picks but, unlike the five-team deal, the move was quashed by the AFL. 

The Power now have three picks inside the top 15 of this year’s draft and an extra two future first-rounders.

They need draft capital to match Essendon’s expected pick No.1 bid on Port academy prospect Dougie Cochrane and 2027 prospects Zemes Pilot and Louis Salopek.

Elsewhere, Gold Coast chose not to match Hawthorn’s bid for spearhead Ben King, accepting pick No.7 as compensation.

The clubs are still working on a separate deal to send Hawthorn forward Aidan Schubert and possibly teammate Sam Butler to the Suns.

Sydney star Nick Blakey has nominated the Kangaroos as his preferred destination after also meeting with Geelong, St Kilda and Gold Coast.

North turned Blakey’s head with a reported eight-year offer worth more than $11 million, before he toured Arden Street and completed a medical on Friday.

Sydney will still need to agree to move the 2024 All-Australian, who will likely command a hefty price at the trade table with five years remaining on his contract.

Blakey was one of five Sydney players who served a club-imposed ban through the AFL finals for breaching the Swans’ behavioural standards at the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne.

North Melbourne have also been in talks to acquire young defender Nick Murray from Adelaide.

In another deal, Brisbane traded 2025 premiership player Sam Marshall and pick No.39 to St Kilda for a 2027 first-rounder.

Swans veteran Harry Cunningham will join Adelaide via the rookie draft on a two-year deal, while Richmond delisted Tyler Sonsie, James Trezise and Samson Ryan.

THE FIVE-WAY MEGA TRADE:

Port Adelaide

Give: Picks No.4, 46 and 81 in 2026; second round, third round and fourth-round picks in 2027 (tied to Port); and second round, third round and fourth-round picks in 2028 (tied to Port)

Get: Picks No.6 and 10 in 2026; a first-round pick in 2027 (tied to Melbourne); and a first-round pick in 2028 (tied to Bulldogs) 

Western Bulldogs

Give: Picks No.12 and 31 in 2026; and a first-round pick in 2028 (tied to Bulldogs) 

Get: Finn Maginness and Hudson O’Keeffe; picks No.81 and 87 in 2026; second and fourth round picks in 2027, second and third round picks in 2028 (all tied to Port); a third round pick in 2027 (tied to Gold Coast); and a fourth round pick in 2028 (tied to Melbourne)

Melbourne

Give: Picks No.6, 10 and 87 in 2026; a first-round pick in 2027 (tied to Melbourne); a third-round pick in 2027 (tied to Gold Coast); and a fourth-round pick in 2028 (tied to Melbourne)

Get: Picks No.4, 12, 31 and 46 in 2026

Hawthorn

Give: Finn Maginness

Get: A third-round pick in 2027 (tied to Port Adelaide)

Carlton

Give: Hudson O’Keeffe

Get: A fourth-round pick in 2028 (tied to Port Adelaide)

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