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\u201899 PER CENT\u2019: SA GREAT\u2019S BOLD BUTTERS PREDICTION<\/p>\n
AFL and South Australian legend Mark Ricciuto suspects Port Adelaide gun Zak Butters is a \u201c99 per cent chance\u201d of returning to Victoria this off-season.<\/p>\n
Butters is in the final year of his contract at Alberton and is widely expected to spark a war for his signature at season\u2019s end.<\/p>\n
Western Bulldogs look the most likely suitor, given Butters\u2019 desire to be close to his regional Victorian hometown of Darley.<\/p>\n
Ricciuto says the Power will have to decide between their proven stars and the carrot of a rapid rebuild before Tasmania enters the draft.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, look, all I can go on is what I get told from everyone and everyone says he\u2019s probably a 99 per cent chance of going,\u201d Ricciuto said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, the list managers at Port Adelaide might offer him another half a million a year on top, I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt depends how desperate they get, they might offer him, who knows, $2.5 million or something.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone is throwing $2 million out there as the magic figure for Melbourne (clubs), well, Port Adelaide might go \u2018have two and a half\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey might let him go and say \u2018let\u2019s get as many picks as we can\u2019 and do the rebuild.<\/p>\n
\u201cChad Cornes reckons (Mitch) Georgiades might go, does he go this year and they get four, five top-round picks before Tasmania compromise the draft?<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen, but if you listen to the rumour mill, the rumour mill says he\u2019s going.\u201d<\/p>\n
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 04: Zak Butters of the Power leads his team out onto the field during the round four AFL match between Richmond Tigers and Port Adelaide Power at Melbourne Cricket Ground, on April 04, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
The Brownlow Medallist and eight-time All Australian has backed the \u2018Always respect, always DrinkWise campaign\u2019 ahead of this year\u2019s Gather Round.<\/p>\n
Ricciuto is urging supporters to \u201clook after your mates\u201d across the big weekend in South Australia.<\/p>\n
\u2014 NCA NewsWire<\/p>\n
\u2018ASKED THE SAME QUESTION\u2019: UNDER-SIEGE VOSS DEFIANT<\/p>\n
In the heat of another pressure-filled press conference, Carlton coach Michael Voss answers one question without hesitation.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh mate, absolutely,\u201d Voss says sharply, when asked if the spirit of his group is still strong despite the Blues\u2019 poor second halves.<\/p>\n
Voss has been under pressure since Round 1 last year and it increased last week after Carlton lost its ninth game in that time frame after leading at half-time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe message is really clear: Don\u2019t make it bigger than what it is and still value the really important things we want in our game. There\u2019s really no other conversation \u2013 not in here anyway,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll these things that get talked about, ultimately we\u2019ve got a really important task this week \u2013 and that\u2019s the weekend. It\u2019ll be the same next week and the week after that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked by Fox Sports News\u2019 David Zita if he was aware of the external narrative surrounding the Blues and his own coaching tenure, Voss said: \u201cAgain I don\u2019t pay any attention to it. You\u2019ve been here the last three weeks and you\u2019ve asked the same question every single week. So at some point in time you\u2019ve just got to get on with the task at hand and what\u2019s what we\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Why Blues should trade Patrick Cripps | 02:01<\/p>\n
A coach\u2019s job security under siege is often decided by the spirit or the endeavour of the side as much as the expected results.<\/p>\n
But Voss, in front of another populated press pack at Princes Park on Tuesday morning, is certain there\u2019s a hungry squad at his disposal.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe key part is doing it when it\u2019s getting tougher and how do we still execute when we need to through those critical times,\u201d Voss added.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything is telling me, if you look at behind-the-goal vision, the little things, being there for each other has been a real positive for us.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve also got to do it for the entirety of the game and that\u2019s what we\u2019ve been challenged on.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of that stuff has come up, some of those have been important conversations to have.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, like I said, we\u2019re not walking away with four points so you\u2019ve got 80 per cent of your work that you\u2019re happy with but there\u2019s 20 per cent clearly letting us down.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Blues are 1-3, having suffered defeats to Sydney, Melbourne and most recently North Melbourne on Good Friday.<\/p>\n
A loss to Sydney was expected but the defeats to the Demons and Kangaroos, especially with their grip on the game, have stung.<\/p>\n
Voss is aware the criticism comes with under-delivering from winnable positions, but is searching for a way to keep it from penetrating the four walls of the club.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not winning, so you obviously expect some level of scrutiny,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou appreciate that\u2019s what\u2019s going to happen every single week when you come off a game you should win and don\u2019t end up finishing the job.<\/p>\n
‘Stop it already! Back your guy!’ | 03:16<\/p>\n
\u201cBut also what you have to do is continue to look at what\u2019s real and what\u2019s not real, some of that you have to factor in \u2013 you can\u2019t ignore it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the same time, when you\u2019re committed to what\u2019s important to you, you tend to give that more voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the challenge for us: how do you give voice to what\u2019s happening inside, celebrate people but also still have the high standards and accountability that\u2019s needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to understand there\u2019s going to be continued dialogue and analysis that always happens around teams, it certainly happens here.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut within all that, how do you still as a performer lock in on what you need to do and put all that aside for a couple hours a week and look at your teammate besides you and stand up for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf anything, there\u2019s an opportunity in that and we\u2019ve got to take that opportunity.<\/p>\n
Carlton takes on Adelaide this Thursday night to kick off Gather Round.<\/p>\n
\u2014 NCA NewsWire<\/p>\n
WIFE OF MERRETT\u2019S SOCIAL MEDIA POST UNDER SCRUTINY<\/p>\n
An act from Zach Merrett\u2019s wife over the weekend has raised eyebrows.<\/p>\n
Alexandra Merrett took to social media to indicate she\u2019d left the Western Bulldogs\u2019 win over Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Sunday night at half-time, when the Bombers were trailing by 54 points.<\/p>\n
She posted a video to TikTok showing herself sipping a glass of wine, presumably at Melbourne restaurant Gimlet, with the caption: \u201cWhen your husband\u2019s team is losing by 50 points at halftime so you go to Gimlet instead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alexandra Merrett left the game Sunday night to go to Gimlet. (Picture: TikTok)Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
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