The Port Adelaide acting captain set aside his well-publicised tribunal dramas to be best afield in Saturday's three-point loss, racking up 35 possessions.
Butters and fellow onballer Jason Horne-Francis were crucial, helping bring their side back into the game after the Hawks made a hot start.
In the lead-up to the game, Hawks coach Sam Mitchell had called Butters "angry and awesome". His assessment proved spot on as one of the game's top onballers torched the Hawks.
Sam Butler went to Butters in the third term and it worked to an extent, but Butters' football smarts meant the Power still won the clearances.
The Hawks had to make a decision at three-quarter time on midfield tactics and ultimately they pulled the right lever. While Butters was more prominent in the final term, Hawthorn had more clearances.
"He's so good - he's good to watch - not when you're the opposition coach," Mitchell said of Butters.
"We haven't quite mastered that part of our game just yet ... being able to shut down an opposition star is something that every club needs in their kit bag.
"Whether you can do it with someone as good as Zak Butters, in the form he's in right now, we haven't proved we can do that and keep the game on our terms."
Just as Hawthorn lost the clearances 35-31 for the game, Gold Coast were also down in that statistic earlier on Saturday as they survived a big challenge from Essendon.
If there is a knock on the Hawks, who have won their last five, it is how their midfield stacks up against other top-four contenders - especially with Will Day out because of injury.
Now they come up against Matt Rowell, Christian Petracca and Touk Miller - who all contributed when it mattered against the Bombers.
"Their midfield is first-class ... (they have) a midfield that causes everyone trouble," Mitchell said of the Suns.
"They have the reigning Brownlow Medallist (Rowell) ... Petracca, and Bailey Humphrey is doing his thing.
"Touk Miller is probably close to the best runner in the comp, (Jarrod) Witts is probably the biggest man in the comp - so you've got me thinking forward already."
Veteran Hawks forward Jack Gunston is likely to return, but co-captain James Sicily and fellow star Dylan Moore will face match review scrutiny for separate incidents off the ball involving Port's Logan Evans.Â
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