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Port Adelaide confirm star’s fitness for Round 1

He suffered an ankle injury during the pre-season challenge.

Published by
Scott Pryde

Port Adelaide Power assistant coach Josh Carr has confirmed Zak Butters will be fit for Round 1.

The star midfielder suffered a sprained right ankle during the Power's pre-season Community Series clash against Fremantle on March 1.

The two-week turnaround to their opening game of the season, though, has been enough for Butters to pass his fitness test.

The 23-year-old is a confirmed starter when Port Adelaide faces the West Coast Eagles at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

"Lock in Butters, definitely," Power assistant coach Josh Carr said on Monday per Afl.com.

"I don't think you can really hold him back. He has done all the work and all the preparation, he's ready to go."

Butters will be pivotal to Port Adelaide's campaign this season. The midfielder has 55 goals from 93 AFL games to date.

The 181-centimetre, 78-kilogram midfielder is also vice-captain at the club and was part of the All Australian team last year, having a stellar campaign.

It also comes with Port Adelaide confirming Charlie Dixon will be fit for the opener against the West Coast per a West Australian report.

Dixon has had a broken pre-season where he has been managed, with the veteran forward aiming to get through the 2024 campaign.

However, Port Adelaide will be without Ollie Lord for the opening game of the season against the Eagles. He could well miss the first ten weeks of the season after suffering a knee injury at training on Saturday.

He has suffered a fractured tibia, but assistant coach Carr confirmed it's unlikely he will need surgery for the injury, which should mean he is fitter and in a far quicker time frame.

Published by
Scott Pryde