{"id":85561,"date":"2026-09-02T03:14:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T03:14:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/85561\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T03:14:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T03:14:31","slug":"john-cahill-medal-jason-horne-francis-wins-port-adelaide-best-and-fairest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/85561\/","title":{"rendered":"John Cahill Medal: Jason Horne-Francis wins Port Adelaide best-and-fairest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Port Adelaide star Jason Horne-Francis has edged the departing Zak Butters to win his first John Cahill Medal as the club\u2019s AFL best-and-fairest.<\/p>\n

The two midfielders were the favourites going into Tuesday night\u2019s count and Horne-Francis\u2019s four extra games proved decisive, prevailing by five votes, 88 to 83.<\/p>\n

Horne-Francis praised his father, former Power player Fabian Francis, for helping him always improve.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatching my dad playing as I grew up and to now be a Port Adelaide player and a John Cahill medallist, it means a lot,\u201d Horne-Francis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom day one, he has always said he wants to make me the best player I can be. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s working a treat at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Horne-Francis overcame a series of foot issues to play 21 matches in arguably the most consistent campaign of his career.<\/p>\n

His pre-season was significantly interrupted when he had a metal plate removed after experiencing tendon irritation and the club was precautious with him late in the summer.<\/p>\n

After a relatively quiet opening month, save for a three-goal haul in round 2 against Essendon, Horne-Francis improved as the year went on while handling more responsibility.<\/p>\n

The 23-year-old joined leadership group meetings and shouldered extra burden amid the Power\u2019s run of injuries to captain Connor Rozee, utility Miles Bergman and, eventually, Butters.<\/p>\n

Horne-Francis averaged 23.3 disposals, 9.9 contested possessions and 5.8 clearances, as well as kicked 27 goals in his fourth season at Alberton since crossing from North Melbourne.<\/p>\n

Butters, who last week announced he wanted a trade home to Victoria, almost claimed a fourth consecutive John Cahill Medal.<\/p>\n

It would have tied him with Power greats Warren Tredrea and Kane Cornes for the most best-and-fairest wins in the club\u2019s AFL history.<\/p>\n

Butters played 17 games \u2013 his fewest since 2021 \u2013 after what proved a season-ending ankle against St Kilda in round 18.<\/p>\n

Horne-Francis praised Butters and said the club was behind him despite his decision to leave. \u201cYou lose a player like that and his calibre \u2013 you don\u2019t like seeing them players go out the door,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tough but I was in his situation. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s given this footy club so much and served his years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s simple\u00a0as he wants to get back to family and friends and you can\u2019t be mad at him for that. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe support his decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spearhead Mitch Georgiades backed up his runner-up finish from 2025 by placing third on Tuesday night on 69 votes.<\/p>\n

The newly re-signed high-flyer took home the leading goalkicker trophy for a third consecutive year, kicking 51 majors.<\/p>\n

Vice-captain Willem Drew (56 votes) and emerging midfielder Joe Richards (55) completed the top five.<\/p>\n

Drew also received his fourth consecutive Fos Williams Medal as best team man, voted by his Power teammates.<\/p>\n

Second-year key forward Jack Whitlock snared the Gavin Wanganeen Medal as the best player under 21 and intercepting defender Josh Lai received the Coaches Award for most improved.<\/p>\n

Delisted goalsneak\/half-back Benny Barrett was recognised for his community work through the Power\u2019s programs, taking home the John McCarthy Medal.<\/p>\n

Barrett has connected with young people, particularly in the multicultural space and also volunteered with the Hutt St Centre.<\/p>\n

Axed Power midfielder Will Lorenz won the SANFL best-and-fairest, the AR McLean Medal.<\/p>\n

Read related topics:Adelaide<\/a>\"Matt<\/a>Matt Turner<\/a>Sports reporter<\/p>\n

Matt Turner is a sports reporter for The Advertiser and CODE Sports who covers mainly AFL and basketball. He has been with News Corp for more than a decade, starting at The Messenger, where he was sports editor for two years. Matt isn’t to be confused with Matt Turner, the award-winning Advertiser photographer, who also shares the same middle name (James).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Port Adelaide star Jason Horne-Francis has edged the departing Zak Butters to win his first John Cahill Medal…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":85562,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[141256,141235,141248,141270,141298,141290,128929,57473,41460,41972,38951,5609,45441,141293,141228,141283,141263,141254,141301,141295,141297,141227,141274,71681,141251,141265,38151,141291,43275,141253,141238,141243,37929,141277,141252,141232,395,100206,141240,141272,141264,141267,141292,141299,90547,103889,48946,141280,945,141241,74824,141268,141260,141250,141258,141285,141294,141271,50460,38098,141266,141242,141276,141247,141229,141259,141249,141278,90525,141288,26367,141234,57522,3954,141281,141141,37392,141246,141273,141257,89943,36518,141296,37298,524,141286,82168,141233,141289,112850,141245,568,141262,141284,39770,141231,141287,38464,141275,141244,141230,141255,141300,141236,37772,141279,141261,42025,100259,141269,141239,141282,141226,38650,136331,36985,141237,68,4382,515],"class_list":["post-85561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-adelaide","tag-s-afl-best-and-fairest","tag-s-afl-history-butters","tag-s-best-and-fairest-count","tag-s-count","tag-s-four-extra-games","tag-s-programs","tag-s-run","tag-teamid20011","tag-41460","tag-17-games","tag-38951","tag-5609","tag-45441","tag-21-matches","tag-23-3-disposals","tag-27-goals","tag-5-8-clearances","tag-51-majors-vice-captain-willem-drew","tag-56-votes","tag-69-votes-the-newly-re-signed-high-flyer","tag-83-horne-francis","tag-141227","tag-9-9-contested","tag-a-treat","tag-a-fourth-consecutive-john-cahill-medal-it","tag-a-john-cahill-medallist","tag-a-lot","tag-a-metal-plate","tag-a-player","tag-a-port-adelaide-player","tag-a-relatively-quiet-opening-month","tag-a-season-ending-ankle","tag-a-series","tag-a-third-consecutive-year","tag-a-three-goal-haul","tag-a-trade-home","tag-adelaide","tag-alberton","tag-arguably-the-most-consistent-campaign","tag-bf","tag-bf-jason-horne-francis","tag-best-team-man","tag-butters-exit","tag-butters-horne-francis","tag-butters","tag-captain-connor-rozee","tag-day-one","tag-emerging-midfielder-joe-richards","tag-essendon","tag-extra-burden","tag-family-and-friends","tag-five-votes","tag-foot-issues","tag-former-power-player-fabian-francis","tag-half-back-benny-barrett","tag-his-calibre","tag-his-career-his-pre-season","tag-his-community-work","tag-his-decision","tag-his-father","tag-his-fewest","tag-his-first-john-cahill-medal","tag-his-fourth-consecutive-fos-williams-medal","tag-his-fourth-season","tag-his-power-teammates-second-year-key","tag-his-runner-up-finish","tag-his-situation","tag-his-years","tag-horne-francis","tag-impending-exit","tag-injuries","tag-intercepting-defender-josh-lai","tag-jack-whitlock","tag-jason-horne-francis","tag-jhf","tag-john-cahill-medal","tag-last-week","tag-leadership-group-meetings","tag-more-responsibility-the-23-year-old","tag-most-improved-delisted-goalsneak","tag-my-dad","tag-night","tag-north-melbourne-butters","tag-players","tag-port-adelaide","tag-port-adelaide-star-jason-horne-francis","tag-possessions","tag-power-greats-warren-tredrea-and-kane-cornes","tag-round-18-horne-francis","tag-round-2","tag-spearhead-mitch-georgiades","tag-st-kilda","tag-tendon-irritation","tag-the-best-player","tag-the-club","tag-the-coaches-award","tag-the-departing-zak-butters","tag-the-door","tag-the-favourites","tag-the-gavin-wanganeen-medal","tag-the-hutt-st-centre-axed-power-midfielder-will-lorenz","tag-the-john-mccarthy-medal-barrett","tag-the-leaderboard","tag-the-leading-goalkicker-trophy","tag-the-moment","tag-the-most-best-and-fairest-wins","tag-the-multicultural-space","tag-the-power","tag-the-power-star","tag-the-sanfl-best-and-fairest","tag-the-summer-afl-top-performers-data-widgetafter","tag-the-top-five-drew","tag-the-two-midfielders","tag-the-year","tag-this-footy-club","tag-tuesday","tag-utility-miles-bergman","tag-victoria","tag-young-people","tag-zak-butters"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85561"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85561\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}