‘It would be an honour’: Emerging Dogs star opens up on the potential of Butters heading to the Kennel

Emerging Western Bulldogs star Joel Freijah says it would be an “honour” to play with Zak Butters, should the Port Adelaide superstar opt to make the move to Whitten Oval next year.

Butters is on track to waltz to his fourth straight John Cahill Medal – awarded to the Power’s best and fairest – which would see him draw level with Warren Tredrea and Kane Cornes atop that leaderboard.

But it may be his last.

Butters will be the AFL’s most sought-after restricted free agent at the end of this season and has been strongly linked to a move to the Bulldogs, the club he supported as a kid.

“We’ll see what happens, whether he stays or comes,” Freijah told this masthead in the rooms after the Dogs’ titanic two-point win over the Power at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.

“He’s a great fella, Zakky, and a great player as well.

“It would be an honour to play with him.”

Butters, Port’s acting captain in the absence of injured skipper Connor Rozee, was the Power’s best in their narrow defeat.

He could yet face MRO scrutiny for his bump on Freijah midway through the fourth quarter, but the Bulldog got straight back up and played on, bearing no hard feelings for the incident.

Freijah, who is originally from Horsham before he boarded at Ballarat, has crossed paths with Butters, a fellow Vic Country product, often.

“I was in Ballarat, and he’s a Darley boy, so I’ve come across him a few times, and we’ve obviously played against each other,” said Freijah, who had game-highs of seven clearances and three goal assists.

“Zak’s a ruthless competitor.

“It’s great playing against guys like that.”

As brilliant as Butters was, he was probably just shaded on Friday night by Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli for best-on-ground honours.

“It’s an honour to play with him every week,” Freijah said of his inspirational skipper, who entered the clash under an injury cloud and has clearly been playing sore.

“He’s a great mentor, and he’s helped me out a lot with my game and my confidence.

“It’s awesome to be playing with Bonty and he was enormous for us as usual.”