WEST Coast veteran Sam Butler is the last man standing – and he feels very weird about it.
The 29-year-old South Australian, who is the only surviving member of the Eagles' 2006 premiership team, has arguably played his best football of his career in the past two seasons after battling injuries throughout his time at the club.
Butler was just 20 years old and playing his 40th game when he tasted flag success as part of West Coast's star-studded outfit.
He has only been able to add another 95 games in the nine years since then, but he has the chance to taste premiership glory all over again as part of a new-look Eagles outfit.
The Eagles will host either North Melbourne or the Sydney Swans in a preliminary final next week, and Butler said it felt strange to think that all his old mates from the 2006 premiership class are no longer playing.
"It feels very weird. I never thought it would come down to that," Butler said.
"It definitely doesn't feel right. I'd love to have a few of those guys with me to lean on, the main one being Beau Waters.
"He'd still be playing if his shoulder could bear the brunt of it."
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Next Saturday's preliminary final will mark Butler's 16th game of the year, equalling the most he has managed to play in a season since he was recruited with pick 20 in the 2003 NAB AFL Draft.
"First and foremost, it's nice to feel wanted," Butler said.
"I work my butt off to be the best player I can be and to be offered a contract is a nod of approval from the people who make those decisions at the club.
"I feel like I have had my best pre-seasons in the last couple of years and it probably comes down to the choices I made in the off-season three or four years ago. Good pre-seasons have rolled into good seasons and I feel as energetic as I have ever done."
Butler, who has predominantly played across half-back in his career, is averaging 17 possessions a game in 2015 while negating the competition's best small forwards.
The veteran joins a raft of players recommitting to the Eagles this season, including Dom Sheed, Sharrod Wellingham, Josh Hill and Jackson Nelson.
One star the Eagles can't tie down is restricted free agent Scott Selwood, with the 25-year-old midfielder reportedly considering a return to Victoria to play with brother Joel at Geelong.
