It’s been a little more than eight months since Adelaide defender Jordon Butts suffered a punctured lung against the Western Bulldogs that ultimately curtailed his 2025 AFL campaign.
But fast forward to now - in a new season but against the same opponent - and Butts delivered a career-best performance, standing tall as a key pillar in the Crows’ defence on Friday night.
Giving no thought to the collapsed lung he suffered in Round 18 last year, Butts’ standout showing at Adelaide Oval included a career-high 19 disposals, 12 marks, and 11 intercept possessions.
Butts also kept his main opponent, Bulldogs spearhead Sam Darcy, to just 1.1, while kicking the first goal of his AFL 87 game-career.
Speaking to AFC Media after the six-point loss, Butts credited his teammates, particularly his fellow backmen, for instilling confidence in him and helping him get back to his best.
He also said a full pre-season with no setbacks had been another key to strong, early season form.
“I felt good, did the whole pre-season injury free, so I felt fit and ready to go,” Butts said.
“There were no thoughts about last time we played them, I was focused on the task at hand and just looking forward.
“The Bulldogs have a pretty good forward line, so I thought as backs we supported each other and we didn’t leave anyone singled out. We worked pretty well as a backline unit tonight, and I know my teammates have my back.
“It took a while, but I eventually snagged one (a goal). I’ve got a goal on the board now which is nice. I don’t find myself at that end too much, so it was good to get a goal and celebrate with my teammates.”
Crows Senior Coach Matthew Nicks said Butts and Darcy’s battles had been entertaining and the Crows never doubted their key backs’ ability to halt the Dogs star’s influence.
“We back Buttsy in,” Nicks said.
“We love the way he defends, he’s super disciplined, he’s a competitor, hates being beaten.
“They’ve (Butts and Darcy) had a couple of good match-ups, those two.
“I thought Buttsy was huge for us, he wasn't the only one, but 11 intercepts… it was good (to get some) reward and we are lucky he was behind the ball, especially at the start of the game.”
The Crows now face a quick turnaround with a Round Three game against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday night.
Butts said recovery would be key to backing it up again in six days’ time and was confident the Crows could return to the winners’ list.
“We’ll recover up with the short week and be ready to play on Thursday,” Butts said.
“We definitely saw glimpses (against the Bulldogs) of how we wanted to play, but there we were also a bit off at times, so it’s more about consistency now.”
