Crows defender Jordon Butts put on six kilograms of muscle this off-season.

Since the end of the 2020 season, where Butts played his first two AFL games, an emphasis on his training, weights and diet programs has been made.

Butts credited staying in Adelaide during the off-season for the transformation.

“We all trained together and held each other accountable, so I think our off-season and pre-season has been pretty strong and I think we are in our best nick ready to go for this year,” Butts said.

“Usually, I’d go home in the off-season and would be training by myself for eight weeks straight, so it was good to stay here with mates and really get some good training in.

“I had the diet plan and the gym programs that Brie (dietician) and Josh (strength coach) made for me and throughout the off-season I ticked them off and had a real crack at putting some weight on.

“It’s paid off in the end.”

On Saturday, the 21-year-old is set to line up on reigning Coleman Medalist Tom Hawkins.

Butts believes his off-season work will help him compete against the big bodies such as Hawkins throughout the year.

“It’s heaps easier in one-on-one contests and I definitely feel a lot stronger – it’s good to run out and be able to be in the contest,” he said.

“My role is to be in the contest and crash bodies, so it’s definitely going to better my game and hold me in good stead for this season.”

Saturday’s game will be the first time Butts plays an AFL match with his two housemates, fellow third-year players Lachlan Sholl and Will Hamill.

Butts is even holding out hope that Sholl is in charge of the pre-game meal.

“Sholly is the main cook and he cooks most nights, he does a good chicken pesto pasta,” Butts said.

“Will cooks sometimes and I clean up most nights, we just work around each other.”

Adelaide’s Round One match against Geelong at Adelaide Oval is at 4:05pm.