PORT Adelaide star Zak Butters played the Power's last two finals with a cracked rib as the gun midfielder battled soreness in the pursuit of a Grand Final.
Butters was substituted out of Port Adelaide's qualifying final loss to Geelong in the second half after receiving a knock to his ribs.
Scans in the days afterwards cleared Butters of any fracture, however it is understood subsequent tests later in the week leading up to the semi-final against Hawthorn showed the courageous midfielder had suffered a crack.
He went on to play a brave performance in the Power's hard-fought win over the Hawks, when he had 17 disposals, eight tackles and five clearances, and again against Sydney on Friday night in the Power's preliminary final defeat to Sydney.
It came after Butters had earlier this year played with a collarbone fracture as well.
The 24-year-old was named the winner of the AFL Players' Association's Robert Rose award as the most courageous player in the competition for the second straight season earlier this month and became a two-time All-Australian.
He said in the lead-up to last week's clash with Sydney that he was ready to take on the pain and play through the rib concern.
"A little bit of pain but I feel like I'm in pain most weekends, so nothing new there. Footy's a demanding sport, there's probably plenty of other players going through some other injuries and dealing with their own things as well and they're getting up and playing key roles for their team," Butters said last week.
The Power's season ended with a run of injury concerns, including Butters battling the rib issue, Todd Marshall's concussion concern, Kane Farrell's hamstring and Ryan Burton's calf during the September run, on top of star half-back Dan Houston's five-game suspension.
