Alastair Clarkson in Adelaide as North Melbourne joins Zak Butters race
alastair clarkson was in Adelaide and North Melbourne has made sure it is not left out of the race for Port Adelaide midfielder Zak Butters. Clarkson admitted the club is interested while the Roos try to climb after six straight seasons finishing 16th or lower.
Clarkson’s Adelaide trip
Clarkson travelled to Adelaide ahead of North Melbourne’s bye this weekend and said his club is interested in Butters. He told 7NEWS, “I think there are 17 clubs interested in Zak Butters,” before adding, “We’re working hard to get better as a footy club and hopefully our form improves a little bit more in the second half of the year.”
He also said he has family in Adelaide, which explained part of the visit, but the timing mattered because North Melbourne has spent the season trying to improve a list that has been near the bottom for years. The club had four wins before last weekend’s victory over Gold Coast, so any move for a player of Butters’ profile sits inside a much broader rebuild.
Butters and the market
Butters becomes a restricted free agent at the end of this year, and he has delayed a call on his future until then. On Wednesday, he said, “It’s obviously a big decision,” and added, “You think about everything... there’s emotion attached to it, definitely. No matter what the decision is, it’s going to be a pretty emotional one from my end, no matter what I do.”
The 26-year-old Victorian-born midfielder grew up supporting the Western Bulldogs and has a personal relationship with captain Marcus Bontempelli. Geelong has also been linked to him, so North Melbourne is competing in a crowded market rather than chasing a player with a single obvious landing spot.
North Melbourne’s pitch
Clarkson pushed back when asked about being aggressive in the off-season, saying North Melbourne is “no different” from any other club. “Every club is trying to do exactly the same thing. They want their list to be better and we’re no different,” he said.
That is the clearest read on where the Roos sit now: they are still chasing wins, still chasing list improvement, and still making a public move for one of the league’s most watched free agents. If Butters waits until the end of the year, North Melbourne will keep trying to sell a sharper second half and a better platform than the one it has offered across the past six seasons.
