Port Adelaide’s Josh Carr is taking notice of a batch of rival coaches openly discussing their chase for Power ace Zak Butters.
Carr stops short — just — of criticising his counterparts for their public pursuit of Butters.
“I’m probably a little bit different than some coaches,” Carr told reporters on Friday.
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“Those conversations, if I do have them, you guys (media) won’t know about.
“I always love when a coach starts with ‘I don’t really like talking about other clubs’ players’, but then go for four-and-a-half, five minutes in talking about it.
“I’m different to that and … you’re talking about Bevo’s conversations and media that he did and, yeah, I would tackle it a bit differently.”
“Bevo” is Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, who has openly addressed the Dogs’ desire to lure Butters on numerous occasions.
Hawthorn’s Sam Mitchell, Richmond’s Adem Yze and Melbourne’s Steven King have also openly commented on trying to lure Butters, who falls off-contract at Port at the end of the season.
Butters is sticking to his guns in not deciding his future until season’s end, as rival clubs pitch multimillion-dollar offers.
Butters was in Melbourne recently during the Power’s bye week talking to clubs.
“Port Adelaide have accepted the fact now that he’s going to be leaving, although they vehemently deny any sort of suggestion that he’s told them yet,“ Caroline Wilson reported on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters on Monday.
“We know he spoke to the Bulldogs over Port’s bye round. We believe he’s also spoken to the Richmond Football Club, among others.
“I think maybe Collingwood as well. Nick Daicos has been absolutely working on his great friend Zak Butters to come to Collingwood.
“He has a relationship with Sam Lalor at Richmond. And, of course, Port would love and are telling people they want to deal with the Richmond Football Club and only the Richmond Football Club.
“The Bulldogs believe they are in the box seat.”
Port’s triple club champion will continue to captain the 15th-placed Power, who host second-placed Sydney at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.
Vice-captain Butters has stepped in as skipper in the absence of Connor Rozee, who has been sidelined since tearing a hamstring tendon on March 22.
The Power mid-week ruled out any prospect of Rozee returning to action this season due to ongoing nerve problems around his left hamstring.
“It is frustrating, but at the same time not unexpected with the type of injury it was,” Carr said.
“We all saw how it looked; we knew that with the nerve copping a pretty big whack when it happened.
“It’s obviously flattening but … it has been a great opportunity for him to get better as a leader.
“I have seen some amazing progress in him and his ability to get around the younger guys and build that connection and really use it as a real opportunity to grow as a leader.
“And I reckon when he comes back he’s going to be a better leader, but also a better player.”
— with 7NEWS
