Butter him up: Essendon midfielder says this Port star could help Bombers become a ‘powerhouse’

3 weeks ago 4

Essendon star Xavier Duursma says the Bombers want to again be a powerhouse and has urged former Port Adelaide teammate Zak Butters to consider joining the club.

Butters, 25, who is yet to sign the long-term contract the Power put before him last season, is weighing up a return home to Victoria. He is a restricted free agent, and has been linked to both Geelong and the Western Bulldogs, the finals contending clubs in closest proximity to his hometown of Bacchus Marsh.

Duursma, who spent five years alongside Butters at Alberton, said the impressive midfielder would be an ideal acquisition.

The Bombers are expected to show interest in off-contract Port Adelaide star Zak Butters.

“We always want to take in fantastic players and elite talent, and Zak is certainly that,” Duursma said at Essendon’s team photo shoot on Tuesday.

“He is one of the best few players in the competition. He has been for quite a while now, so I think we would always be welcoming to bring in elite talent like that, so that would be great.”

Duursma, the hard-running wingman, said he wants the Bombers – flagless since 2000 and having failed to win a final since 2004 – to pursue Butters should he decide to leave Alberton.

“That’s what we want to build – we want to build a powerhouse club. We want to bring in and attract as many free agents and highly talented people as we can to come to the club, [to] be a successful team for a long time,” Duursma said.

Butters is the Power’s vice captain, a three-time Port best and fairest, a two-time All-Australian, and former AFLCA champion player of the year and two-time AFLPA most courageous player.

Industry insiders, who wished to remain anonymous to speak freely, expect Hawthorn – having failed to snare Zach Merrett last year – and Carlton to also pursue Butters.

The Bombers could accrue even more draft and salary-cap capital to trade for Butters should they allow Merrett to leave, and opt to use the picks they get in return for the veteran midfielder on the Power champion.

They have also made a bid for Hawthorn star Josh Weddle, who is off contract.

Darcy Parish has recovered from injury and is ready to roll in the Bombers’ midfield.

Merrett, along with teammate Nick Bryan, was absent from the team’s photoshoot because of illness, but a club spokesman said he is expected back in time for Friday’s intra-club clash.

The former skipper has rebuilt his relationship with teammates after his failed trade to Hawthorn in October.

“Since day one in November and December, he was back into it. Whatever happened in the off-season has been put behind us. We are all connected back together again. As always, he is training fantastically, and is leading from the front,” Duursma said.

Merrett and Bryan missed a solid morning training session in Melbourne’s heat in which Darcy Parish continued to show he is tracking towards a round-one return.

In a season when the Bombers hope to rebound from a disappointing six wins (15th spot) in 2025, they hope Parish, now 28, can have a strong influence in the midfield. He managed only three games last season because of a series of calf problems.

“He is looking back to his best form of 2021 when he was an All-Australian. He is looking as good as that at the minute, which is fantastic for him, and it’s only going to help the team as well,” Duursma said.

Nate Caddy (20 goals last season) has also impressed, with Duursma insisting the flamboyant young forward was ready to “take another step”.

The Bombers finished last year with a whopping 16 injured players on their list, but this has eased greatly under new fitness and conditioning chief Mat Inness.

Versatile forward Kyle Langford is confident his soft-tissue issues have been eliminated after spending time at Aspetar, a private sports medicine facility in Doha.

Draftee Sullivan Robey (back), midfielder Jy Caldwell (jarred knee) and Harry Jones (ankle) were restricted to running laps on Tuesday.