Travis Cloke's request to leave Collingwood may have saved Jesse White, with the Magpies offering the journeyman a contract for 2017.

White, 28, has played 52 games for the Pies since being traded from Sydney at the end of the 2013 season. Out of contract at the end of 2016, White was on the outer early this season. He played just once in the first six weeks, struggling in defence in the round four loss to Melbourne.

But having benefited from Cloke's omission as well as the Pies' horror run with injuries in 2016, White played 15 of the last 16 games of the year, mainly at half-forward, ending the year with 23 goals following tallies of 20 and 27 in his first two years at the Holden Centre. While the Magpies will pin their long-term key forward hopes on Darcy Moore and Mason Cox, it's understood the club views White as a required player next year, and have offered him a deal for at least the upcoming season.

Retaining White would help cover the loss of 2010 premiership player Cloke, who last week asked for a move from Collingwood despite having a year remaining on his contract. Cloke identified the Western Bulldogs as his preferred new home.

Contract offer: Jesse White Credit:Getty Images

Oft-maligned, White played 71 games in seven years at the Swans after being plucked from Queensland deep in the 2006 draft. He was twice the subject of stories that required AFL intervention - first for an interchange mishap in 2008 which precipitated a change to bench rules, and then as prospective trade bait for then Adelaide star Kurt Tippett star ahead of the indiscretion that led to Tippett's suspension for the first half of 2013.

While Dane Swan, Alan Toovey and Brent Macaffer have retired, the Magpies have yet to make public any delistings, with their VFL team still in premiership contention. Other Pies without deals for 2017 include key defenders Nathan Brown and Jack Frost, ruckman Jarrod Witts, small forward Jarryd Blair and small backman Marley Williams. Brown has been linked to North Melbourne, while Frost has been linked to the Brisbane Lions.