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Full Noise by SN
Important update on 1476AM“I'm really disappointed”: Hinkley defends Butters over alleged umpire abuse
SEN • April 13th, 2026 8:59 pm
Former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has reacted to Zak Butters' alleged abusive comment towards umpire Nick Foot.
During the third quarter of St Kilda’s 14-point win against the Power, Butters was given a 50-metre penalty and placed on report by Foot for using abusive language.
At the time, Butters was confused as to why he was placed on report, telling *Channel 7* post-game that he would love to know what language he used to warrant such action.
With the matter now going to the tribunal, it is alleged that Port Adelaide’s interim captain said, “How much are they paying you?”
Speaking about his former player on SEN’s Sportsday, Hinkley admitted that he was frustrated at how the incident had been handled.
“I'm really disappointed, if I'm being honest,” he said.
“I'm really disappointed with the way this has all played out and how it's played out.
“This is a fellow who I know really well. You talk about, you attack the kids, you attack your family, you want to be very careful.
“Zak to me is almost like family, and I'm looking at this and thinking, ‘How has this got to this?’
“When I think through football and the way football is today, with the way we capture everything that's happened in football.
“Now, there's an unfortunate incident that's happened. We have audio that 99 times out of 100 will capture everything.
“I'm assured that it absolutely hasn't been captured by the mics, which is a surprise in itself, but I trust the people who are telling me that.
“But when we see the behaviour of a player like Zak Butters and some of the things that come up in footy are really frustrating.
“This is one of those moments where this could have been handled mature(ly).
“The way to have this conversation would have been perhaps straight after the game when Zak approached the umpire, which he's a captain.
“He's allowed to approach the umpire. It's actually in the laws of the game.
“Come up and have a discussion with someone, and he got pushed away by Nick (Foot) who allegedly had a thing in his mind that he thought he may have heard or might not have heard.
“And (the) same, it's alleged about what has been and hasn't been said.
"But I know Zak Butters. I know Zak Butters incredibly well.
"Zak Butters knows that the umpires are mic'd up.
"He's watched enough and seen enough footy, and he's been fined enough to know that he knows that these things go on.
"He goes on national television and says, 'I will fight to the hill' because he's convinced and not convinced...he knows what he said.
"And now we're gonna end up at a tribunal."
Hinkley then doubled down, believing that the situation is 'a lot about nothing’.
“Look, people can say what they like about me and Zak,” he continued.
“I've got an absolute complete belief in the way he (Zak) goes about things, and I know him well.
“I don't know Nick, and I'm not accusing Nick of anything by any means.
“I'm just saying this seems to be a well and truly a lot about nothing.”
Butters will go before the tribunal on Tuesday.
