Hawthorn is in the box seat to land Port Adelaide’s Chad Wingard

PORT Adelaide playmaker Chad Wingard has officially requested a trade to Hawthorn but the Power are adamant they will not release the star without proper compensation.

Chad Wingard is set to leave Port Adelaide.

HAWTHORN has trumped the Western Bulldogs in the race for Chad Wingard with the Port Adelaide star set to move to Waverley next season.

Wingard’s camp notified both clubs he wanted to be traded to the Hawks to play under master coach Alastair Clarkson.

The Herald Sun can reveal Wingard has been tabled a four-year contract worth about $2.5 million.

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The Hawks will offer their No.15 draft pick for the playmaker who Clarkson coached during the 2014 International Rules series.

It is unclear what other parts the Hawks will need to include to satisfy the Power.

Chad Wingard could leave Port Adelaide. Picture: Sarah Reed

The win for Hawthorn comes after missing out on key targets Tom Lynch and Dylan Shiel, who chose Richmond and Essendon respectively.

Wingard will help replace retired legend Cyril Rioli as an attacking half-forward after kicking 232 goals from 147 games at the Power.

The durable best-and-fairest winner has played at least 18 games in his seven seasons at Alberton.

It is the second consecutive year Hawthorn has beaten the Bulldogs to a Port Adelaide player’s signature after securing small forward Jarman Impey last year.

Wingard had dinner at Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge’s house recently and the club was optimistic it would secure the dual All-Australian.

But the Bulldogs are now certain to take their No.7 pick to next month’s national draft, where they fancy Vic Metro MVP Bailey Smith and 202cm Haileybury key forward Max King, who is recovering from a knee reconstruction.

Chad Wingard, Paddy Ryder, Eddie Betts and Rory Sloane at International Rules training. Picture: Sarah Reed

The Dogs were always focused on retaining pick No.7 and were instead hoping to trade a future first-round selection in a potential deal for Wingard.

Wingard is set to become a restricted free agent next year but a trade seems likely to be struck before Wednesday’s deadline given Port Adelaide is happy to move the match-winner on.

“Chad has informed us of his want to explore the opportunity that Hawthorn have presented him,” Port football boss Chris Davies said.

“However, he is also aware that unless an acceptable trade can be struck, that he will be playing for Port Adelaide in 2019.”

The Hawks hold picks No.15 and 35 and have long been happy to trade away their prized selections for established talent.

Hawthorn has not used a top-15 pick for a decade. Since 2008 the only top-20 picks they have activated were on Isaac Smith and Burton.

Meanwhile, free agency shuts at 5pm on Friday with premiership Bulldogs Jordan Roughead still in limbo.

Roughead appeared set to join West Coast before the Eagles traded in St Kilda ruckman Tom Hickey.

Teammate and fellow free agent Tom Liberatore has long been expected to sign a one-year deal to stay at Whitten Oval.

Geelong’s Dan Menzel and Hawthorn’s Brendan Whitecross, Ryan Schoenmakers and Taylor Duryea are other free agents still up for grabs.