You couldn’t script thisBy If Zak Butters wanted to cool speculation about where he might be playing his football next year, the AFL’s seating planner tonight has done him absolutely no favours.Among all the tables, all the players and all the possible seating combinations at the All-Australian awards, Butters has been plonked on the Geelong table. Yes, Geelong – one of the three Victorian clubs fighting hardest for his signature. You couldn’t script it much better if Andrew Mackie had been handed the seating chart himself.Port Adelaide superstar Zak Butters will return home to Victoria to play from next season onwards.Getty ImagesPerhaps the Cats can treat it as an unofficial final pitch. A little entrée, a glass of red and a quiet reminder that the Surf Coast is lovely this time of year. By dessert, someone might have slipped a property brochure for Barwon Heads underneath his napkin.In fairness to the AFL — and before Richmond and the Western Bulldogs demand an investigation into competitive balance — Butters is also sitting alongside Nick Daicos. So perhaps there is nothing more sinister going on than putting some of the competition’s biggest stars together.Still, it is delicious timing. Butters has told Port Adelaide he wants to return to Victoria, Geelong are firmly in the race, and now he’ll spend one of football’s biggest nights breaking bread with the Cats.No word yet on whether the place card reads Zak Butters, Port Adelaide.For now.Latest Posts8.10pmToday’s news: Mad Monday anticsBy Sam McClureRichmond players seen striking each other with belts in footage taken during Mad Monday celebrations have expressed embarrassment about their behaviour but denied they were mocking the scandal engulfing the Sydney Swans.The Tigers released a statement on Tuesday afternoon in which they said they had questioned the players about their conduct at the Garfield Hotel in Gippsland on Monday.“Richmond is aware of a video circulating from a player end of season gathering,” the statement said.“The club has spoken to the players who have expressed their embarrassment over their behaviour.“The players are adamant they were in no way referencing or making light of recent matters.”In one piece of vision of the Tigers’ celebration, young midfielder Josh Smillie appears to pull down his pants and feign shock as he is repeatedly struck on the backside by a teammate.8.03pmTime for the AFLPA awards ....By And the AFLPA best captain award goes to ... Adelaide’s Jordan Dawson.In his second year as Crows skipper, Dawson earned top billing for the second time. He placed ahead of Melbourne’s Max Gawn and Fremantle’s Alex Pearce and joins two-time Crows best captains Mark Ricciuto (2005, 2006) and Taylor Walker (2016, 2017).The players’ association’s best first-year player award goes to young Carlton defender Harry Dean. That’s fitting recognition for a great season.And here are more plaudits for Adelaide’s Dawson. He has just been announced as the winner of the Robert Rose most courageous award, beating home Zak Butters and Brayden Maynard. 8.01pmMore top photos from the carpetBy Geelong’s Bailey Smith and Oliver Dempsey.AFL Photos via Getty ImagesAFL icon Leigh MatthewsAFL Photos via Getty ImagesFremantle young gun Murphy Reid arrives at the count.Getty Images7.53pmAFLCA player of the yearBy One of the early awards on the night has just been announced ...The AFLCA player of the year is, unsurprisingly, Nick Daicos. The Collingwood star and red-hot Brownlow favourite might pick up a full range of awards tonight.7.51pm‘Safe and respected’: Dillon’s message to the footy fraternityBy AFL boss Andrew Dillon has launched the 2026 awards night, giving a speech on finals-eve where he emphasised that the game was responsible for all supporters feeling “safe, welcome and respected.”Before the 46-man squad will be cut in half to reveal this year’s All-Australian team, Dillon was at the podium at Centrepiece at Melbourne Park talking up the league’s broadcast and crowd figures in 2026.“Other sports dream about those numbers – sometimes they even claim them,” Dillon quipped.While there was no mention of Sydney’s hotel saga which resulted in five Swans being banned for the the rest of the season, Dillon said the code had a responsibility to “the millions of girls and boys” who follow the game.AFL boss Andrew Dillon.AFL Photos via Getty Images7.26pmThe full list: This squad will be cut in halfBy THE SQUAD:Jordan Dawson, Wayne Milera, Izak Rankine, Harris Andrewsm Will Ashcroft, Zac Bailey, Charlie Cameron, Logan Morris, Lachie Neale, Patrick Cripps, Josh Daicos, Nick Daicos, Jye Amiss, Shai Bolton, Jordan Clark, Luke Jackson, Alex Pearce, Murphy Reid, Caleb Serong, Josh Treacy, Oliver Dempsey, Max Holmes, Connor O’Sullivan, Bailey Smith, Ben King, Bodhi Uwland, Lachie Ash, Clayton Oliver, Jack Gunston, Jarman Impey, Jai Newcombe, James Sicily, Nick Watson, Max Gawn, Kysaiah Pickett, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Aliir Aliir, Zak Butters, Mitch Georgiades, Jason Horne-Francis, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Callum Wilkie, Charlie Curnow, Brodie Grundy, Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards7.24pmScenes from the red carpetBy Hot Brownlow favourite Nick Daicos cops a question or two.AFL Photos via Getty ImagesLuke Jackson with Kelsey Browne.Getty ImagesGeelong star Bailey Smith.AFL Photos via Getty ImagesPinned post from 7.23pmYou couldn’t script thisBy If Zak Butters wanted to cool speculation about where he might be playing his football next year, the AFL’s seating planner tonight has done him absolutely no favours.Among all the tables, all the players and all the possible seating combinations at the All-Australian awards, Butters has been plonked on the Geelong table. Yes, Geelong – one of the three Victorian clubs fighting hardest for his signature. You couldn’t script it much better if Andrew Mackie had been handed the seating chart himself.Port Adelaide superstar Zak Butters will return home to Victoria to play from next season onwards.Getty ImagesPerhaps the Cats can treat it as an unofficial final pitch. A little entrée, a glass of red and a quiet reminder that the Surf Coast is lovely this time of year. By dessert, someone might have slipped a property brochure for Barwon Heads underneath his napkin.7.14pmPreview: Gawn’s chance for new heights?By Minor premiers Fremantle have dominated the extended All-Australian squad while Melbourne champion Max Gawn is poised to become the first nine-time selection.But second-placed Sydney only have two players in contention after banned star trio Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Nick Blakey were ruled ineligible for selection in the wake of the club’s hotel scandal.Melbourne skipper Gawn has defied changes to the ruck rules to maintain his status as the competition’s dominant ruckman.His ninth All-Australian blazer should be confirmed when the squad is cut from 46 to 23 at the AFL’s award nights on Tuesday night.Gawn is currently equal with Gary Ablett Snr, Gary Ablett Jnr, Patrick Dangerfield, Lance Franklin, Robert Harvey, and Mark Ricciuto on eight blazers, but is expected to pull one clear.AAP7.12pmThis year’s 46-man squadBy Go to the drop-down for your club to see which of your players are in contention:1 of 2