Footy fans have reacted to Port Adelaide star Zak Butters being accused of calling umpire Nick Foot a cheat by coming up with a conspiracy theory connecting the scandal to the fact the match official works for betting agency Sportsbet.
Foot, who umpired the 2024 AFL grand final, accused Butters of attacking his integrity, claiming the Power player allegedly asked him: ‘How much are they paying you?’ in Port’s loss to St Kilda on Sunday night at Adelaide Oval.
Port Adelaide has vowed to defend Butters after he was referred directly to the tribunal.
The Port Adelaide captain is adamant he told Foot, ‘How did he pay that?’ in relation to a free kick that was given for a ruck infringement.
Foot was in no doubt about what he heard, but the Power believe the words used by Butters were ‘misheard and misconstrued from what was actually said’, with both sides’ arguments not helped by the fact the crucial comment wasn’t clearly picked up on the umpire’s microphone.
‘Acting club captain Butters is unambiguously adamant on what was said and the club strongly supports him and his position,’ the Power said in a statement.
Zak Butters argues with umpire Nick Foot on Sunday night at Adelaide Oval
Foot has accused Butters of attacking his integrity – and fans have tried to baselessly connect the incident to the fact the match official works for a major betting company
‘Former club captain and Brownlow Medallist Ollie Wines was standing next to Butters and Foot at the time of the exchange and will provide a witness statement in support of Butters.
‘Port Adelaide is also disappointed that umpire Foot dismissively refused Butters’ attempt to seek clarification post-game as captain of the club.’
There have been suggestions by fans online that Butters was highlighting Foot’s links to betting company Sportsbet, where he works giving horse racing tips.
Butters said he was not aware of Foot’s connection to Sportsbet.
The AFL gave Foot permission to work in the racing industry due to his standing as an umpire of integrity who was aware of his obligations.
Speaking on Fox Footy, AFL journalist Caroline Wilson questioned the AFL for allowing Foot to work for a betting agency.
‘We made the point at the time that it was an eyebrow-raising decision for the AFL not to have a problem with that,’ said Wilson, who appeared to back Butters over Foot.
‘He (Butters) would have suspected there was audio and yet he was still so adamant that he’d done nothing wrong,’ she said.
AFL umpire Foot was given permission by the league to work for Sportsbet (Foot is pictured in a video for the betting agency)
Journalist Caroline Wilson (pictured) has questioned the AFL for allowing Foot to work for a gambling company
Butters said he tried to speak to Foot (pictured) immediately after the game, but the umpire did not want to talk to him
‘I’m not saying Nick Foot is deliberately lying but it seems to me that he may have got it badly wrong because why would Zak have been so adamant otherwise.’
Former Port Adelaide player and media personality Kane Cornes also defended Butters on radio.
‘I wouldn’t have thought Zak Butters is going to stake his reputation if he wasn’t adamant nothing had been said,’ Cornes said.
‘Butters is the captain of the club, standing there on free-to-air television in front of a million people saying “I didn’t say it”.’
Butters said he tried to speak to Foot immediately after the game, but the umpire did not want to talk to him.
‘Port Adelaide is disappointed that umpire Foot dismissively refused Butters’ attempt to seek clarification post-game, as captain of the club,’ Port said in a statement.
Butters told Channel Seven in a post-game interview: ‘I’d love to know the language that I said, because I went up to him after the game…just to have a chat, like any two humans do.’
‘He said he didn’t want to speak to me. All I said was “How was that a free kick?” He gave it 50, and said I’m on report,’ Butters said.
Butters (right) and Port were unhappy the umpire didn’t want to speak to him post-game
Butters has been backed by the media and ex-players
‘(There were) genuinely no swear words, any bad language. That’s why I was curious and obviously a bit frustrated, because it led to a goal.
‘I feel like I’m a pretty honest bloke out there and have a good relationship with most umpires.’
Former Richmond player Jack Riewoldt said on Fox Footy that one of the two will ultimately be known as a liar.
‘Zak Butters is either going to be a liar or Nick Foot is going to be a liar and they have to live with that for the rest of their careers,’ he said.
Former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said he would back Butters ‘with your life’, saying he was a man of integrity.
‘I’m going to trust Zak,’ Hinkley said.
‘This could have been handled maturely and the way to have this conversation was perhaps straight after the game when Zak approached the umpire, and he is the captain so he is allowed to approach the umpire … come up and have a discussion with someone and he got wiped. He got pushed away by Nick.’
The AFL has come down hard on players in the past for questioning an umpire’s integrity. Dale Thomas was fined $7500 for calling an umpire a cheat in 2019.
The Power said they will defend Butters ‘in the strongest possible way’ at the tribunal on Tuesday night. If found guilty, Butters will be fined rather than suspended.
