Collingwood is set to make some big moves to expand the depth of talent they have on their lists after a "tactical" salary move.
The Pies were set to pay $700,000 over the next two years to Brodie Grundy in order to fulfil their part of his transfer agreement to the Melbourne Demons in 2023.
That payment was intended to be split over a two-year period, although the club paid the full sum at the end of last year.
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In doing so, Collingwood is now in a position to attack the best in the competition.
"They've opened up this window of money and they are being super aggressive," AFL.com.au reporter Cal Twomey revealed exclusively on Nine's Footy Classified.
"It is super tactical, it is smart, and they have got ahead of it."
Twomey also noted that Adam Treloar was on the books at Collingwood for five years, but the club got the final $300,000 of his transfer deal sorted last year, too.
"If you look at it, they are a million dollars better off after these two moves," he said.
As for who the club will target with their new funds, Eddie McGuire had one player in mind who must be dealt with before any outside recruitment strategies begin.
"You would have to fix up Nick Daicos right off the bat," the former Collingwood president said.
"You'd go straight in and make sure he is looked after. You heard Barry Carp, their football president, say that he (Daicos) is going nowhere. That's the way it should be."
Twomey revealed that Collingwood has eyes on four key stars at the moment: Zak Butters, Ben King, Zac Bailey and Bailey Humphrey.
The ambition to get Butters to make the move to Collingwood would require a deal upwards of $2 million, according to Twomey.
But Twomey says if Butters were to agree to make the move, it is likely he would be on a higher salary than Daicos.
"I wrote in my notes during State of Origin: thank God Zak Butters and Nick Daicos will never play in the same team, because they will rip the competition apart if the two of them are on the ball at the same time," Dermott Brereton said after hearing of Collingwood's interest in Butters.
James Hird added: "Collingwood need new talent because they don't have the depth of talent that they have had in the past. The combination of Butters and Daicos … is pretty scary."
"It is frightening," Brereton replied.
Collingwood will host the Adelaide Crows on Saturday.
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