A Hawthorn plot to get Ken Hinkley into their coaching ranks has been hailed as a “genius” move by Channel 7 expert Kane Cornes.

But there could be a whole lot more to it than meets the eye.

There have been plenty of rumblings about the possibility of AFL superstar Zak Butters wanting to leave the Power and head back to Victoria.

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

And Cornes — who is a Port Adelaide great — believes Hinkley’s relationship with Butters could help the Hawks prise the 24-year-old out of South Australia.

“I personally think this is absolutely genius,” Cornes said on SEN on Tuesday.

“There is some strategy behind this, not in terms of a coaching advantage, which they will get with Ken’s intel, of course, but from a recruiting point of view.”

Cornes said “the first thought” he had when veteran AFL journalist Caroline Wilson broke the news on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters, was: “Is this a play to get Zak Butters?”

Speaking on SEN, Cornes said Hinkley and Butters “probably have one of the closer coach-player relationships in the league”.

“And have Hawthorn gone, ‘Well, our job of recruiting Zak Butters, be it at the end of this year or at the end of next year when he’s a restricted free agent, becomes a whole lot easier if there’s a familiar face in Ken Hinkley amongst the coaching group’.”

Butters contract expires at the end of 2026 when he will become a restricted free agent (which allows Port to match any bids for him).

It has been suggested Port has a two-year deal on the table but there is an option to extend that by another six years.

Geelong and the Western Bulldogs are also reportedly keeping a close watch on Butters.

Head here to watch The Agenda Setters and more AFL live, free and on-demand on 7plus Sport

“He’s worth more now (for Port) than what he will be, albeit as a restrict free agent,” Cornes said.

“If he wants to go, which you think he would, you think if Zak Butters had his choice, (he would go).

“He may be advised that, look, this is just too hard to get out (of the contract), and managers are pretty smart with that.

“(But for the) new coach, absolutely disastrous for Port Adelaide if they lost their best player and a top-10 player in the league in the first year of Josh Carr’s tenure.

“So maybe he’s been told this is too hard, so you’re just gonna have to suck it up for a year, and then if you want to go, you can go when you’re out of contract.

“But the theory remains the same ... trade him now if he wants to go (and get maximum value for him).”