John Butcher (Australian footballer)

John Butcher
Personal information
Full name John Butcher
Date of birth 3 July 1991 (1991-07-03) (age 20)
Original team Gippsland Power (TAC Cup)
Draft #8, 2009 National Draft, Port Adelaide
Height/Weight 197cm / 90kg
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current club Port Adelaide
Number 32
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2011– Port Adelaide 4 (11)
1 Playing statistics to end of 2011 season .

John Butcher (born 3 July 1991) is an Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was the earliest of the three Port Adelaide players drafted in the first round in the 2009 AFL Draft (he went at pick #8).

Originally from Maffra, Victoria, Butcher is a versatile key position prospect with great agility and pace for his size. Butcher is an excellent contested mark and has been noted for his "clean hands".[1] He was extremely impressive at the AFL Draft Camp with his speed (2.99 sec over 20 m) and repeat sprints (24.88 sec) being in the top 28 per cent of all players. He kicked 40 goals for the year for Gippsland Power and Vic Country in 16 games. He was a Vic Country Under 18 representative in both 2008 and 2009, including kicking three goals against Vic Metro in 2009.[2] Butcher is also an AIS-AFL Academy graduate. He was widely tipped to be the first key-position player to be selected in the 2009 draft.[3]

Due to injuries and the time needed to develop key position players, Butcher didn't debut until Round 21 of 2011.[4] In his second match against Western Bulldogs he kicked 6 straight goals from six disposals.

Butcher's younger brother Danny was drafted to Port Adelaide as part of the Rookie Draft in 2011 at pick 21.

References