Port Adelaide vice-captain Zak Butters is being urged to have fun, not rebel, when faced with harsh labels from opponents.
Butters this week received a scathing charge in the AFL tribunal after appealing a one-game ban recommended by the match review officer for striking Greater Western Sydney's Tom Green.
Zak Butters of the Power competes with Alex Cincotta of the Blues.Credit: Getty Images
The dynamic Power on-ball is increasingly marked by opposition clubs – the Giants' Toby Bedford restricted Butters to a minimum of 17 disposals last Sunday.
Port manager Ken Hinkley spoke to Butters this week, telling the playmaker he should treat the attention as an honour.
“One of the pieces of advice I gave him is, 'This is a great thing mate, you're recognized as a great player in this competition, you should expect it to happen and you're going to want it to happen almost,'” Hinkley told the journalists
“Because his own belief is that he can be a very good player. Now he just has the challenge of overcoming it.
“There are so many players that I've come across in my time that work with this.
“It doesn't happen overnight and it's quite a task to have someone hanging on your back, holding you, wrapping their arms (around you).”
On the eve of Port's home clash against the Brisbane Lions, Hinkley said Butters should watch how dual Brownlow medalist Lachie Neale deals with taggers.
“We're up against one this week … Lachie Neale plays like that and gets that kind of attention most weeks,” he said of the Lions star.
“Zak's just starting to experience what that's like a little bit, so you just have to work at it.”
Hinkley described the tagging tactics as a “real challenge” for the 23-year-old Butters.
“It's going to be good, it's going to work its way through what the expectations are of a good player, and that's to get attention,” he said.
“He knows it and he's got it in his head.
“It's a bit frustrating for him at the moment, but from what I know about Zak, there's going to be a pretty determined response every time he goes out to play.
“It doesn't necessarily mean he's going to have a big game all the time, but he's going to give everything he's got to try and make that happen.”
Hinkley have made four changes to their seventh-placed side, who sit six points clear of the thirteen-placed Lions.
Ruckman Ivan Soldo has been dropped in favor of Jordon Sweet, while Jeremy Finlayson, Willie Rioli and AFL debutant Logan Evans have been called up.
Port dropped Quinton Narkle, Dylan Williams and Francis Evans, while the Lions made one change with Noah Answerth (shoulder) replaced by Shadeau Brain.
AAP
