Hawthorn legend’s contract advice to Zak Butters

Four-time Hawthorn premiership hero Luke Hodge has some advice for Port Adelaide star Zak Butters.

Dual All-Australian Butters is the biggest name in free agency, with a host of Victorian sides vying for his signature.

Speaking on Channel 7's The Agenda Setters on Wednesday night, Hodge said Butters should be mindful of taking too much of the pie if he has aspirations of winning a premiership.

"I will say, if he's asking for $2 million (a season), he's not going to win a flag. He's got to come back with the decision and say, ‘I might take a little bit less, I might go for $1.7 or $1.8 million'. Take less money, but at least that way you will be able to get the people around you to win a premiership," Hodge commented.

"It's got to be a business decision for him. Don't go for the biggest price, go for a price where you're comfortable and going to get a lot of money, but you've also got people around you to build you up and play late in September."

Hodge believes there are six clubs in the race for the 25-year-old - Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn, Carlton, Essendon and the Western Bulldogs.

"A lot of blokes that come from interstate back to Melbourne, they want to go to a big team, they want to play in big games on the MCG," said Hodge.

"I've pencilled it down to Geelong, Collingwood and Hawthorn as the three that stand out the most for me. I think they're the three main clubs.

"I know Hawthorn went after Merrett this year and fell short. They've got the money for him.

"The Bulldogs, with the Bontempelli relationship… and he's a Darley boy, as well, which isn't far from the western suburbs or Geelong.”

Hodge's comments were made soon after the Bulldogs made their intentions for Butters clear.

"I think from our perspective, he grew up in the west, he was a Bulldogs supporter growing up," Dogs CEO, Ameet Bains, said on SEN.

"He's clearly an outstanding player, and if he were to make the decision to come back to Melbourne, then, yeah, we'd absolutely be trying everything we could to convince him to come and play with us."

Mitch Cleary claims the Dogs have a “sneaky war chest” to access, following the departures of Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Jack Macrae and Bailey Smith in recent times.

Collingwood is also believed to have plenty of money to play with, after the Magpies paid out the remaining portion of Brodie Grundy's big-money contract. The Pies also no longer have to pay a reported $300,000 per season to Bulldogs midfielder Adam Treloar.