The Western Bulldogs reportedly lead the way in attempting to lure Port Adelaide gun Zak Butters closer to home amid a host of Victorian clubs after his signature.
Butters is contracted until the end of 2026, but it is believed that if he were to explore a move to Victoria, the Power would be more inclined to engage in trade negotiations rather than allowing him to leave as a free agent next year.
A deal could help Port Adelaide net multiple first-round picks, which they do not currently have, given the move for Jack Lukosius and Joe Richards, and could be reminiscent of the three GWS received from Geelong for Jeremy Cameron in 2020.
The Bulldogs ironically face the Alberton club in Ballarat, which is 45 minutes from Darley, where the two-time All-Australian grew up.
After a mini exodus at the Whitten Oval, seeing Bailey Smith, Caleb Daniel and Jack Macrae all depart to rival clubs, the Bulldogs could be looking to beef up their on-ball brigade.
Tom Liberatore and Adam Treloar are both 32 years of age, with the latter struggling with persistent injuries to begin 2025.
Captain Marcus Bontempelli turns 30 in November, while emerging midfielder Ed Richards sits by his lonesome in the 23-27 age bracket.
Player acquisition manager Michael Regan also took a post at the Bulldogs after spending a long stint as Port Adelaide's list analytics manager, writes the Herald Sun.
It is also understood that Geelong will look at securing Butters if they miss out on Gold Coast's Matt Rowell and the likely renewed interest in Melbourne's Clayton Oliver.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Essendon, Hawthorn, Collingwood and Richmond were flagged as opposition clubs prepared to look into the former Pick 12 as well.
St Kilda shouldn't also be dismissed, given they hold a soon-to-be A-grade talent in Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.
Hailing from South Australia, Wanganeen-Milera has already received heavy interest from both the Crows and Power, but a deal with the latter would likely be smoother if Butters were to make the switch.
However, the Saints are also into Miles Bergman, Tom De Koning and Leek Aleer, adding more into the trade speculation mixing pot.
It comes as the 24-year-old put contract talks on hold, despite being locked away for another 18 months at Alberton.
"At the footy club, it doesn't really get spoken about," Butters said following the North Melbourne win.
"I feel like right now, for me, it's about winning games of footy. When I came back into the team, we probably weren't in such a great spot.
"So my goal as a leader and a vice-captain was to help bring the team back to a better spot and get us into a better spot moving forward.
"It's still 18 months away, and it's going to be a big decision. But right now, it's probably not one that's front of mind."
