Port Adelaide vice-captain Zak Butters is looking forward to a hot contest on Sunday night as his side closes Gather Round against Hawthorn. 

Returning from injury last weekend, Butters was diligent in his knee rehab, keen to get back to playing as quickly as possible. 

Speaking with the Adelaide media alongside a sausage sizzle at Coles Findon on Friday, Butters spoke on Gather Round, the upcoming Round 5 clash, and his playing future. 

Butters on his sausage sizzle order 
“Yeah, I don't actually eat onion, so normally, just a bit of tomato sauce. Don't mind a bit of butter as well. So it's good to get here and give back to our fans. Obviously, a good setup and Coles being one of our major sponsors, so yeah, good to give back to the community.  

“I'd say I'm pretty respectable (at cooking a barbecue). I think growing up back home dad always had me on the barbie So, yeah, I feel like I know my way around.” 

Butters on Gather Round 
“Yeah, you can see just in the last few days how busy the city's been. Yeah, it's been great for the state over the last couple of years. And I think this year is even bigger and better. So as a two team town, it's good to see all the teams here and a lot of footy fans from all over the country. And yeah, makes a good spectacle as well.” 

Butters on getting back from injury 
“I was pretty aggressive with the rehab. And obviously I love footy, so you want to get back playing as much as you can, help the team and do your bit as well. But in saying that, I ticked all the boxes and got everything I needed to right with my body. So yeah, I feel like it was good to get back last week and get a run in the legs. And I think I'll help me in the future.” 

Butters on his fines 
“I actually caught up with him (my accountant) this morning. Yeah, he wasn't too pleased with another fine. But yeah, from my end, I feel like when my skipper is in trouble, I'm obviously going to fly the flag for him, back him up, and I'll do that for any of my teammates. So yeah, if that happened again, I’d do the same thing again. 

“It's a team game. And I think when it’s your captain as well, you really want to back him up. And I'm sure he'd do the same for me or any other players in the team. So yeah, it's hasn't been a theme but I think we've run with it for a while, that we want to support our teammates and support each other out there. And I feel like that’s a good way of doing it.” 

Butters on his interaction with Ken Hinkley on the bench last weekend 
“I can't actually really remember. I was my first game back of footy for six weeks, so I was just trying to breathe again, to be honest. I don't know if you've been in too many wrestles with brothers or siblings or mates, but you get pretty gassed. So I think I was meant to stay on the ground for a few more minutes, but I sort of said, I need a break, so I went straight to the bench and I was purely running off adrenaline. So I actually can't really remember what he said to me.” 

Butters on the expectation for Sunday night’s game 
“Oh whether it's a bit of biff or it's just a good, hard contest and a good, hard game of footy, whatever that is. But yeah, I feel like our focus is to be at the ball and the contest and trying to win the game of footy first.” 

Butters on Jack Ginnivan’s goal celebrations 
“Yeah, that's actually the first time I've heard about so that probably shows my knowledge of the situation and social media these days. But yeah, I feel like when you get good goals, you can celebrate, you can do what you want. I'm there to get the footy and play my role for the team, and being a good inside mid. I think we can control (the narrative) by playing and actually winning. I think that lessens the chance of a celebration, and so if we can do that and get on top early, I think that helps us.” 

Butters on the Hawthorn rivalry 
“I dislike all 17 teams. So whether it's disliking Hawthorn, I just dislike all teams, especially when you're playing against them that week. So I feel like, for mine, I'm a competitor, I want to win, no matter who I’m playing against.” 

Butters on his future 
“I'm still contracted here for another two years, and I love Port Adelaide. I feel like I've made it aware that I love SA as well and I feel like I'm really settled here, but it is a big decision. I'm going to take my time on it as well. I’m probably only going to sign one more contract moving forward. So, yeah, I'm still here for another two years, and I feel like I'm in no rush. 

“Yeah, I guess a lot goes into it. I think right now, just coming back to footy for me is trying to win games of footy and trying to get our season back on track. And right now, my focus isn't on myself, it's on the team and what I can do to help the team. So I feel like right now I probably haven't put too many eggs in that basket thinking about it. But yeah, it’s a big decision, no doubt, if you ask anyone. I'll talk to family, I'll talk to friends, I'll talk to my teammates at the club. I'll talk to plenty people for sure.” 

Butters on players meeting with other clubs 
“Yeah, I think it can be awkward if you perceive it as awkward, and I think you make of it as you do. But yeah, I feel like when it gets a free agency in this time of year, that players have to make decisions based on what they want and what they feel like is best for their future. But yeah, right now I feel like I'm not in that area to actually think about it too much.” 

Butters on the media speculating about his future 
“I guess it's actually out of my control. I can't control what you guys talk about. I think from my end, I'm focused on playing footy for Port Adelaide right now, and winning games of footy for Port Adelaide so yeah, I guess from inside the four walls, I can't control anything that anyone else says about me, or what they think I will do or won't do. So yeah, for mine, it's pretty stock standard.” 

Butters on being from interstate 
“Yeah, it's pretty obvious, I'm not from Adelaide, I'm from Melbourne. But yeah, I love Darley, I love my family, and also I love my family here in Adelaide. And I feel like the footy club's been great to me since being drafted as an 18 year old. So yeah, I feel like, obviously there's always a draw factor of Melbourne and my family and what I've known. I lived there for 18 years, but I've also been here for seven and I've had seven good years.”