WE'VE ALL seen this movie before. 

A big-name free agent or out-of-contract star handle the searing scrutiny and perform in the year he decides to move home. 

Zak Butters is doing that in 2026. 

The 25-year-old entered this year on the back of winning the past three John Cahill Medals, during a time where he has been named All-Australian twice, won the AFLCA award once and finished fourth, third and 11th in the Brownlow Medal.

But across the first 16 rounds of Josh Carr's first season in charge of the Power, Butters has somehow enhanced his reputation further by delivering week-in, week-out amid all the speculation around his future in a two-team town.

He is averaging career-high numbers for disposals (30.3), contested possessions (12.7), inside 50s (5.7) and is marginally behind the personal bests he set for clearances and tackles in 2025. 

With Connor Rozee missing since round three, Butters has stepped up as acting captain and is on a run of 15 consecutive games where he has been rated among the top five players on the ground, according to Champion Data's AFL Player Ratings system, to move one behind the record set by West Coast great Nic Naitanui. 

CONSECUTIVE GAMES RATED IN TOP FIVE PLAYERS ON GROUND

Last year, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera handled the heat while weighing up a return to South Australia. Then he decided to stay at St Kilda. 

Butters is expected to return to Victoria in October. The Western Bulldogs and Geelong have been chasing him for almost two years, while Richmond is cashed up and looking to fast track its rebuild. Other clubs continue to monitor the situation. 

But if Butters goes, where does this season stack up for a player that ended up moving in the same year?

Patrick Dangerfield is the obvious comparison. Moved home from the same state after a year of scrutiny as a free agent. 

Dangerfield won his first Malcom Blight Medal, his third All-Australian selection and finished sixth in the 2015 Brownlow Medal count, before moving to Geelong. 

That year, the now eight-time All-Australian averaged 18.7 Ratings Points from 23 games to sit just above Butters, but a fair way behind Gary Ablett jnr. 

Back in 2010, the little master was wooed up north to be the face of Gold Coast. The links escalated after he won the 2009 Brownlow Medal and never subsided. 

Unlike Dangerfield and Chris Judd in 2007, Ablett wasn't returning home, but he did handle the scrutiny outrageously well, finishing runner-up in the Brownlow Medal in the same year he collected the fourth of eight All-Australian selections. 

His return to Geelong at the end of 2017 didn't have the same level of focus, but his season was good enough for him to win a fourth Gold Coast best and fairest and the sixth of his career.

The Judd decision after six seasons at the Eagles was enormous at the time. He had a Brownlow, a Norm Smith, a premiership and a MVP by then. Groin issues limited him to 19 games in 2007, but he still polled 16 Brownlow votes.

Lance Franklin's move to Sydney at the end of 2013 was one of the biggest in the history of the game. The four-time Coleman Medallist helped Hawthorn win the second of four flags under Alastair Clarkson that year, kicking 60 goals, but wasn't named All-Australian that year.  

PLAYER RATINGS BEFORE CLUB CHANGE