Zak Butters only knows one way to play in the AFL and Sam Mitchell strongly doubts a tough week off the field will change that.
The Hawthorn coach was asked what version of Butters he expects in Saturday's twilight game at Marvel Stadium, given the Port Adelaide star's tribunal case.
Butters was found guilty of umpire abuse and the controversy is not over, with Port to appeal the verdict.
"It's a great question - is there more than one? I've only ever seen him be awesome and angry and good at footy," Mitchell said after Thursday training.
"So if there's a different one, I will take that one."
While the Hawks will take a four-game winning streak into their first Marvel Stadium game this season, Port are coming off a scrappy loss to St Kilda and are 2-3.
Naturally, Hawthorn are the strong favourites. Equally as obvious, Mitchell is keen to talk that down.
"It's amazing, the narrative - we won a game (against Geelong) by a point ... and then we played okay against the 'Dogs," Mitchell said of their big Gather Round win over the Western Bulldogs.
"It's pretty easy. Your (media) job is to make the good, great and the bad, horrible.
"We're going along well, but you guys are making us out to be unbeatable. Port Adelaide are a good side, they've beaten us five of the last six times.
"You just have to be always looking forward in this game."
Will Day showed at training that he is making strong progress from his shoulder injury, even leaving his coach wistfully wishing that the star midfielder might return quicker than the five-to-six week timeframe.
"He's still a period away even though, I must admit, I watched him train and I thought 'are you sure it has to be that long?'," Mitchell said.
"But you just trust the medical staff, they do a great job."
