Zak Butters revealed a crafty move he used to shake a hard tag during Port Adelaide’s 50-point win over Carlton, and credited Collingwood’s Nick Daicos for the idea.
Tagged early by Blues stopper Alex Cincotta at Adelaide Oval, Butters looked to be heading to the bench midway through the first quarter.
Cincotta dutifully followed, only for Butters to pull a swift U-turn and stay on the field, leaving his opponent stranded on the interchange and the Power ace suddenly free.
The moment didn’t go unnoticed. From the boundary line, 7NEWS reporter Mitch Cleary described it in real-time: “Butters pretended to come off the ground. Cincotta was then taken off by the Blues, but Butters did a U-turn and is now running free.”
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“I actually got it off Nick Daicos”
The tactic was praised in the commentary box, with cameras later showing a frustrated Cincotta watching helplessly from the bench.
Speaking post-game, Butters admitted it was a move lifted straight from Daicos’ arsenal.
“I actually got it off Nick Daicos. I seen him do it a couple times last year so I thought I should add it to the kit bag,” Butters told Channel 7. “If I can get free for an extra five minutes and help the team perform and win, I think that helps me.”
Butters went on to gather 30 disposals in the win that lifted Port to 10th on the ladder. With coach Ken Hinkley in his final season and finals still a chance, Butters said the group remains upbeat.
“We like to keep things pretty intense and keep it rolling... Hopefully we can get on a roll,” he said.