Zak Butters has been sent directly to the AFL Tribunal for allegedly abusing an umpire in Port Adelaide's Gather Round loss to St Kilda.

Tempers flared in the third quarter at Adelaide Oval when St Kilda's Mitch Owens was given a free kick for a ruck infringement.

Port's Ollie Wines took issue with the decision, as did Butters, who was penalised 50m and reported for abusive language as Owens goaled from close range.

Two-time All-Australian midfielder Butters is alleged to have said to umpire Nick Foot: "How much are they paying you?"

The AFL said the exchange was not picked up on the umpire's microphone.

Port will front the tribunal on Tuesday, with vice-captain Butters maintaining his innocence against a charge of abusive and insulting language towards an umpire.

Asked post-match about the incident, Butters told the Seven Network: "I know what I said, and I didn't say anything bad.

"I'd love to know the language that I said because I went up to him (field umpire Foot) after the game and obviously wanted to have a chat, like two humans do, and he said he didn't want to speak to me.

"All I said (at the time of the incident) was: 'How is that a free kick?' And he gave a 50 and said I was on report ... I am curious to follow that one up because I am never going to say anything bad to the umpire."

Should Port fail at the tribunal, Butters is likely to face yet another fine after recently reaching the $50,000 mark in financial sanctions since making his debut in 2019.

St Kilda forward Liam Ryan was docked $1500 last year for verbally abusing an umpire while playing for West Coast.

In 2019, former Collingwood and Carlton player Dale Thomas was sanctioned $7500 for calling an umpire a cheat, and Sydney veteran Dane Rampe was slapped with a $5000 fine for telling an umpire he talked "like a little girl".

St Kilda ruck Tom De Koning was also handed a $1500 fine - or $1000 for an early guilty plea - for staging in the fourth quarter against Port Adelaide on Sunday.

Geelong midfielder Mark O'Connor was slapped with a one-match ban for a high bump on Eagles youngster Willem Duursma in the second quarter of the Cats' win at Norwood Oval.

The incident was graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.

O'Connor will miss Geelong's home clash against the fourth-placed Western Bulldogs should the club accept the charge.