Zak Butters#9
Quick Stats
Currently injured — out since 11 July 2026 (94d) · Serious ankle injury — ankle caught beneath him attempting a third-quarter tackle against St Kilda; helped from the ground and took no further part. Scans to determine severity; early reporting canvasses a season-ending outcome.
Current Status
High Ankle Sprain
Targeting Round 1, 2027
Movements
2027 list: Western Bulldogs (WBD)
- 9 Oct 2026
Joined WBD from PTA as a free agent for 2027
Signed with the Western Bulldogs as a restricted free agent after Port Adelaide declined to match the offer and took pick 5 as compensation.
Road to Recovery
Clinical progress for this injury — fitness tests, setbacks, and reassessments as they were recorded.
- R1811 July
Occurred
Serious ankle injury — ankle caught beneath him attempting a third-quarter tackle against St Kilda; helped from the ground and took no further part. Scans to determine severity; early reporting canvasses a season-ending outcome.
- 14 July
Reassessment
Port Adelaide confirm ankle syndesmosis (high ankle) undergoing surgery this week.
Port Adelaide FC - 28 July
Progress update
ReassessmentAFL Round 21 Medical Room (28 July) updated the return guidance to 2026-08-21. Zak Butters — Ankle — 3-4 weeks
Return revised: 5 Sept → 21 Aug
AFL.com.au - 18 Aug
Progress update
Progress updateAFL Medical Room R24 lists Zak Butters as a test to play this round. Zak Butters | Ankle | Test
AFL.com.au - R2420 Aug
Progress update
- R2423 Aug
Setback
Not named in the Round 24 team or emergencies against Essendon — the Achilles has not come up in time.
- 20 Sept
Progress update
The club's 2026 season is over and no fixture remains, so the lapsed return forecast is retired to the 2027 pre-season; the next possible return is pre-season training.
Return revised: 21 Aug → 1 Mar
Risk Profile
2 factors identifiedSeverity-weighted total across 4 recorded injuries — more severe injuries weigh more; those older than 24 months count half.
4 injuries in the scoring window — frequent injuries compound risk.
Note:Risk factors are derived from a heuristic (injury history, age, workload, recurrence) — a placeholder while the ML model is pending. Bars show each driver's relative contribution, not an exact running total.
Career Durability
2026 Season (Active)↘️
On pace for 13.5 games (below career avg)
Status: Active
Component Scores
Recent Form (Last 3 Seasons)↗
Up 3.2 games/season from career average
Career: 8 seasons, 139 games (17.4 avg)
Career Timeline (Completed Seasons)
| Season | Games played |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2020 | 17 |
| 2021 | 12 |
| 2022 | 20 |
| 2023 | 25 |
| 2024 | 26 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2027 | 0 |
Last updated: 12 Oct 2026
Injury Profile
Injury Categories
9 games missed · Last: July 2026
Durability Impact
Travel Burden
Interstate flights only. Same-state and home-venue games count as 0 travel. Excludes games the player did not feature in.
Season Availability
Every round of the season — played, missed to injury, and what's ahead.
Injury History
4 injuries recorded| Date | Injury | Severity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
11 July 2026R181× · 653.6 km | High Ankle Sprain8 updates ATLH | Severe (6) | Injured |
20 Jan 2025 | Minor (0) | Returned | |
6 Sept 2024 | BTFR | Minor | Returned |
1 Aug 2024 | STBF2 | Minor (3) | Returned |