AFL Now: Latest updates, team news and Gather Round preview on Friday

Zak Butters says he intends to honour his contract at the Power, but is in no rush to decide or declare what his future will be long-term as Victorian rivals circle.

Port Adelaide star Zak Butters says he is intends to honour his contract at the Power but will take his time to decide his long-term future.

Butters is contracted until the end of 2026 and Victorian clubs are already preparing to make big plays for the Power vice-captain.

Butters will be the headline act of next year’s free agent pool but rival clubs could even try and make a move for him at the end of this season.

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But while Butters said he would take his time to decide his long term future – with his next deal arguably his one chance for a massive payday – he wants to honour his current contract at Alberton.

Butters could be a name to watch come trade period. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“On that I am still contracted for a couple of years, I love Port Adelaide, I feel like I have made it aware that I love SA as well and I feel like I am really settled here,” he said.

“But it is a big decision, I will take my time on it as well.

“I probably only get to sign one more contract moving forward.

“So I am here for another two years and I am in no rush.”

The Power would love to re-sign Butters as quickly as possible and have the cap space to match some big money bids from across the border.

Butters said a lot of factors would go into his decision but he wasn’t in the space of thinking about it yet.

“A lot goes into it, right now it is just coming back to footy for me, trying to get our season back on track,” he said.

“Right now my focus is on the team … I feel right now I haven’t put too many eggs in the basket of thinking about it.

“But yeah it’s a big decision, I’ll talk to family, I’ll talk to friends, I’ll talk to my teammates at the club, I’ll talk to plenty of people before I make that decision.

“Right now I feel like I am not in that area too much to think about it.”

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Originally published as AFL Now: Latest updates, team news and Gather Round preview on Friday