THE ZAK Butters race is down to three clubs after the outgoing Port Adelaide superstar ruled out Collingwood from his considerations.
The gun midfielder hasn't nominated a preferred home, but AFL.com.au can reveal it won't be the Magpies, who were informed later on Monday they had been ruled out.
The Pies had recently put a club record deal worth more than $14 million over eight years to Butters having met him earlier in the year.
It leaves Geelong, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs all chasing the three-time best and fairest winner.
Butters is favouring the Cats but all clubs are conscious of how a trade gets done, with his management not yet committing to one club as they look through the options to make a deal happen.
Port Adelaide has said it will match any free agency offer and force a trade, with the club's other option to accept pick No.5 in the free agency compensation system.
Collingwood chief executive Craig Kelly had made clear the Pies' interest in Butters earlier this season in comments that angered Port Adelaide, saying late last month: "He's a great player, a great person, and he's coming back to Victoria and we'd like him to consider our club."
Power coach Josh Carr described the comments as "disrespectful".
In a video statement released on Monday, Butters said he felt it was time for him to move back to Victoria to spend more time with his family and friends after eight years in South Australia.
"Although I've loved my time in Adelaide and everything the city's given to me and the football club's given to me, I feel like I'm probably at a stage in my life where I'd like to get back around some family and friends and enjoy some more time with them and cherish their moments with them," he said.
He thanked his coaches, teammates and the broader club for taking a chance on "a skinny kid from Darley that had no shoulders".
"I'll always be a Port Adelaide person. I'll always value this club and what it's done for me," he said.