Zak Butters umpire report: AFL allege Port Adelaide star mentioned ‘How much are they paying you?’ to Nick Foot | UNW

Zak Butters has been ordered to face the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday after the league revealed the wording of his alleged insult toward umpire Nick Foot.

Butters is alleged to have said “How much are they paying you?” to the whistleblower during the third term of Port Adelaide’s fiery clash against St Kilda on Sunday.

The three-time Power club champion was charged with abusive and insulting language toward an umpire, setting the scene for what shapes as an intriguing tribunal hearing.

The exchange between player and umpire was not picked up on the umpire’s microphone.

Butters gave a different version of events when asked about the exchange during Seven’s coverage of the match, saying he had asked “How is that a free kick?” before triggering the report.

“I’d love to know the language that I said because I went up to him after the game and obviously wanted to have a chat like any two humans do,” Butters said on Sunday.

“He said he didn’t want to speak to me. All I said was ‘how is that a free kick?’, and he gave 50 and said I’m on report.

“I had a few teammates right next to me, (including) Ollie Wines, so I’m curious to follow that one up because I’m never going to say anything bad to the umpires.

“So I just wanted to follow up and ask what he thought I said.”

Meanwhile, Geelong’s Mark O’Connor was hit with a one-match ban following his bump on Eagles youngster Willem Duursma at Norwood Oval.

O’Connor’s hit was graded as careless conduct with high contact and medium impact, with the Cats set to weigh up fighting the ban.

More to come