PORT Adelaide is yet to decide whether it will accept a compensation pick for Zak Butters or match the Western Bulldogs' free agency offer and force a blockbuster trade for the superstar midfielder.
And the Power aren't afraid to keep Richmond as a fallback option if the Bulldogs can't stump up.
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All eyes were on the Butters deal as the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period opened on Monday, while Hawthorn has agreed a trade for Essendon star Zach Merrett but is working with Gold Coast on the free agency move for spearhead Ben King.
The Dogs are yet to lodge restricted free agent paperwork for Butters.
Port can accept compensation, which would currently deliver pick No.5 in this year's draft, or match the Bulldogs' offer and force a trade.
The Power need draft capital to match Essendon's expected pick No.1 bid on Port academy prospect Dougie Cochrane, as well as points for 2027 prospects Zemes Pilot and Louis Salopek.
"We're working through all those options at the moment," Port list boss Jason Cripps said.
"Clearly the compo pick is something we're trying to explore the market (for) in terms of what that might give us this year and future years.
"But we've also got the capacity to match and force a trade if we choose to do so.
"So it's just a little bit early, testing the market, working through all those options, but not sure which way we pivot at this stage."
The free agency period ends on Friday.
The Power are unlikely to force Butters – who had significant interest from battling Richmond – into the draft but Cripps gave the Bulldogs a public warning to pay up.
"We've talked around if we're not given something that we think's fair value for Zak's standing in the game, and the posturing of pushing him into the draft and what does that look like?" Cripps said.
"I can say we've had a lot of conversations with (Richmond list boss) Blair Hartley over the journey, we're pretty close. So we want to avoid that.
"We've had enough conversations with the Western Bulldogs for them to have a really clear understanding of what our expectations are, and they're getting to work."
Asked about that, Hartley said: “I think I've probably spoken to Jason (Cripps) more than my wife this year.
“Everything's still live. It's day one of the trade period.”
Bulldogs list boss Michael Regan labelled Butters "priority number one and two".
The AFL already flagged clubs cannot complete side deals to run alongside compensation picks unless the trade stands up on its own.
Port explored trading Todd Marshall to the Bulldogs for two first-round draft picks, but that deal was shut down by the AFL, frustrating both Regan and Cripps. The Dogs no longer hold interest in Marshall.