ZAK Butters has nominated the Western Bulldogs as his preferred new home in a bombshell move that will shape this year's trade period.

AFL.com.au can reveal that the departing Port Adelaide superstar has finally made the call that has dominated the headlines this year about his future.  

TRADE HUB All the latest player movement news

The restricted free agent has been weighing up his decision between Geelong and the Western Bulldogs after narrowing it to the two clubs recently and has settled on the Dogs after an agonising call.

Clubs are aware of the 26-year-old's decision, with Port Adelaide also aware the brilliant midfielder has settled on the Dogs as his new home. The Western Bulldogs have a record nine-year offer on the table for the matchwinner worth upwards of $1.8-2 million a season.  

The three-time All-Australian and three-time Port best and fairest winner has been torn over his call, having jumped between both of the clubs over recent months.

More recently the Cats were favoured and the Bulldogs had lost some hope of landing their key target, before the Dogs improved their offer to Butters and also upped the ante to get his commitment with their local pull significant, with Butters having grown up in Darley in Victoria's western suburbs as an avid Western Bulldogs fan.

Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs will now ramp up talks on how a deal can get done for Butters.

Port's football boss Ben Rutten said earlier this month the club would keep all options open in navigating the trade and free agency windows.

Butters, who idolised Bulldogs champion Marcus Bontempelli before being drafted, has been heavily courted by clubs for more than 18 months ahead of his free agency decision.

Securing Butters would be the biggest coup in the Bulldogs' modern history, with the club having never landed a rival player of his ilk whilst at the top of their game as Butters will hit 2027.

Port Adelaide confirmed at the end of its season Butters had officially informed them he would be exercising his free agency rights and leaving Alberton Oval after eight years, and later that day he ruled out Collingwood from his list of options, leaving the Dogs, Cats and Tigers all in the mix.

He further narrowed his call to a decision between the two long-held favourites – Geelong and the Western Bulldogs – before the decision this week.

Butters played 156 games for the Power and leaves as one of its all-time greats, having captained the club this year in Connor Rozee's injury absence.