St Kilda held off Port Adelaide’s late surge for a 81-67 win at Adelaide Oval, but the match is remembered for a heated umpire standoff with Power midfielder Zak Butters.
Umpire Nick Foot reported Butters for abusive language after a free kick, awarding Saints ruckman Mitch Owens a goal from point-blank range, yet no audio captured what Butters said.
Butters insists he only asked ‘What was that for?’ with teammate Ollie Wines backing him up, while journalist Tom Morris notes no mic evidence of a slur; the AFL Match Review Officer decides Monday on any charge amid calls for transparency.
