'The same boat': Port midfielder's say on Butters chase

Horne-Francis, the 2021 No.1 draft pick, spent one year at North Melbourne before returning home to Adelaide, citing family reasons.

Victorian-born Butters now is facing the same pull.

"I was in the same same boat as him," Horne-Francis told reporters on Wednesday.

"Family is obviously a really big part in his life. And I understand that, big time.

"But we know what he brings to our footy club and we know he loves our footy club and we just want to make that decision really tough for him."

Butters, who falls off-contract at Port at the end of the season, is being courted by multiple clubs with the Western Bulldogs considered frontrunners.

"(We) want him to stay, obviously," Horne-Francis said.

"But ultimately it's his decision ... he's going to make the right call, for him.

"And whatever he wants to do, we've got the back of him."

Horne-Francis has marvelled at how Butters has performed amid the scrutiny and taking on Port's captaincy with regular skipper Connor Rozee out for the season because of a hamstring nerve injury.

Butters, averaging a career-high 30 disposals, is set to win a fourth consecutive club champion award while also relishing the captaincy.

"He been tremendous, we have seen him grow each day with his leadership," Horne-Francis said.

"He was probably more of that on-field leader and show by his actions, but everything else is coming in to play now.

"It's little, small chats in the corridor that Zak is having and you can see it, week-in, week-out, and he's just building and it's great to see."

"Obviously Connor going down, sometimes that can be a hard thing to pick up a captaincy role but Zak has taken it in his stride."

Horne-Francis has also stepped in to fill the leadership void left by 26-year-old Rozee's injury, and admitted he'd love to captain the Power one day.

"I'd love to be able to lead this footy club, it would mean a lot if I could," the 23-year-old said.

"But it's obviously when the time's right.

"Connor is an amazing leader at the moment, and we love what he's doing and he's still really early in his career."