Arki Butler is cheeky, a bit of a rascal, the life of the party, and likes to yap at his opponents.
The Sandringham Dragons forward – often likened to Sydney star Tom Papley – is also one of the most coveted and gifted young footballers in next month’s AFL draft, with a chance to be a top-five selection and who will certainly be taken inside the top 10.
Like Papley, Butler relishes being an agitator on the field. Also like the Swan, he has the skills to back up his mouth.
There is even a realistic scenario that they end up as teammates, given Sydney hold the No.6 pick in the draft after trading Nick Blakey to North Melbourne.
“I think I’m quite out there and quite energetic, and like to get amongst the boys, whether it be at footy or away from footy. I hope that’s infectious when I’m around people,” Butler told this masthead.
“Most small forwards are a little bit lippy and annoying, and get under everyone’s skin, so I’ll maybe take those traits of the AFL small forwards.
“But I’d hope they think I’m a good teammate who likes to create relationships, enjoy himself, not take anything too seriously, and bring everyone along for the ride.”
Butler, whose party trick is being able to name any AFL player with just their club and number as a prompt, was regarded highly enough for his leadership and influence to captain Brighton Grammar’s First XVIII football team this year.
He returned early from a broken collarbone that ended his AFL under-18 championships campaign to feature in Brighton’s nine-point triumph over Caulfield Grammar in the APS grand final.
“I was pretty determined [to play],” Butler said.
“It was a little bit premature, but I was pretty excited to be a part of that game and to have, I think, 7000 people there at an under-18 school game is pretty unbelievable. Getting the win was just the cherry on top of it. It was an unbelievable game to be a part of.
“I probably needed a couple more weeks – and I took that off after the game – but I was always going to get back for it. I wanted to play one last game with all the boys.”
The Papley comparison is no coincidence. Butler lists him as one of the AFL forwards he studies closest, while the Brisbane Lions’ Zac Bailey is another.
He comes from good stock: his grandfather, Allan Davis, played in St Kilda’s 1966 premiership and made 250 VFL/AFL appearances overall for the Saints, Melbourne, Essendon and Collingwood.
AFL draft guru Kevin Sheehan sees striking similarities between Butler and Davis, from the way they walk to their “mercurial ability”, and believes the teenager could be the modern-day answer to Geelong and GWS great Steve Johnson.
“To be a player like that would be awesome. Being a nightmare for the opposition is my goal,” Butler said.
“My kicking is probably the thing I’ve worked the most on. The other week I was watching Murphy Reid, and he said [how much importance he places on] every disposal … so I took that on, but even before that, my kicking has been one of the things I prided myself on.”
Butler was one of the most talked about draft prospects all year long, which he appreciated and enjoyed, but he acknowledged it took some time to adjust to after being largely anonymous prior.
“It’s a bit weird. You always played footy, but had never been recognised as much for it, then, sort of overnight, it gets a little bit more serious,” he said.
“You come into your draft year, and there’s a lot of stuff going on, a lot of people want to talk to you and talk about you, and you do see your name out there a little bit.
“But you can’t read into it too much. It [can] play with your mind and mess you around a bit if you keep worrying about what other people are saying about you.”
A hamstring injury stopped Butler from testing at the combine, where some of his top-10 peers enhanced their reputation, after the mid-year collarbone setback that marred his season.
But you won’t hear this 18-year-old feeling sorry for himself.
“I’ve been pretty lucky,” Butler said.
“I live a pretty sheltered life down in the Bayside, and go to school at an APS school, so there are not really too many problems in my life.
“I’ve got a super-loving family, and all the people in my corner care for me and look after me.”
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