Zak Butters has joined the Western Bulldogs, according to the Herald Sun, after a five-club trade that cleared the way for several other moves to be completed. The Herald Sun reported the news on Friday, 9 October 2026. The Western Bulldogs confirmed on their club website that Butters is officially a Bulldog.
Butters described the club as a special place to him, the Herald Sun reported. The trade was one of the headline deals of the AFL exchange period, with the Herald Sun framing it as the move that unlocked a chain of other transactions.
The wider trade period also saw other players find new homes. According to The Age, Butters and King both landed at new clubs on multi-million-dollar deals, while Nick Blakey is seeking a similar outcome. Fox Sports reported that Blakey has picked a new home, with top free agents signed as part of what it called a mega-deal. The AFL's own trade recap listed Butters as a Bulldog, described the mega deal as done, noted a big call from Blakey and placed King at Hawthorn.
The Western Bulldogs' confirmation ends the speculation around Butters' destination, which had run through the trade period. The five-club structure of the deal meant multiple clubs had to agree before any single move could be finalised.
Attention now turns to Blakey, whose next club is the remaining question from a trade period that has already delivered several major signings.
