Trade talk: Emerging Pie offered unders as club waits for Butters

Collingwood remains locked in delicate list management discussions at both ends of its playing list on the eve of finals.

The Pies are in something of a standoff with record-breaking icon Scott Pendlebury, with the club yet to give him a contract for next year and no certainty to eventually do so.

And emerging tagger Ed Allan has only been offered what sources state is a very modest two-year deal as Collingwood bank cash in the event Port Adelaide star Zak Butters chooses them.

Allan falls out of contract at the end of a season in which he’s become a trusted member of Craig McRae’s midfield rotation.

But there’s a lot of work to be done on a new deal, which was slow to come and when it did, was underwhelming.

The Pies have told Allan it’s all they are prepared to present until Butters makes up his mind. If Butters doesn’t choose Collingwood, there’s an expectation Allan will be paid far closer to his market value.

Butters has been wooed heavily by Nick Daicos, with the pair in touch throughout the season and meeting earlier in the year as part of the Pies’ sales pitch.

Having now played his last game for Port Adelaide, Butters is also weighing up offers from Geelong, Western Bulldogs and Richmond.

Pendlebury’s future is just as clouded. While Steele Sidebottom stepped forward to retire and Jeremy Howe is negotiating a new one-year contract, Pendlebury’s future is an increasingly sensitive subject.

The midfielder has seen his game time reduced in recent weeks, while his centre bounce attendance rate has also fallen away.

Yet the footy calendar demands a decision on Pendlebury be made soon given Collingwood’s wildcard final next weekend could be his final game in black and white.

Out-of-contract Collingwood forward Tim Membrey is also waiting on a new deal beyond 2026. The former Saint has kicked 30 goals from 18 games so far this season.

Collingwood president Barry Carp will join AFL Nation from 6.45pm tonight.