In words no one could have predicted using two weeks ago, in the end it was a real estate agent who ostensibly brought down the AFL’s case against Zak Butters. The Port Adelaide player was cleared of umpire abuse on Monday night, after the AFL appeals board overturned the tribunal’s verdict based on an “error of law” through a “miscarriage of justice”. It brought to a close a farcical chapter that started with missing evidence and ended with barking dogs. And between those unusual bookends, Butters’ case took several other unexpectedly comical turns.
Umpire abuse is a serious issue – one that permeates every level of sport from grassroots to the elite – and cracking down on it at the top level sends an important message. Yet when field umpire Nick Foot claimed Butters had asked, “How much are they paying you?” after he awarded St Kilda a free kick, it wasn’t those words that drew shock and condemnation. It was instead the reminder that an AFL umpire is allowed to work for a sports betting agency.
