COLLINGWOOD hopes its offer of a trigger for a third season for Tyson Goldsack could still save the forward from walking to Port Adelaide.

The Power has lodged a three-year offer worth $400,000 per season for the 27-year-old tackling machine, who is an unrestricted free agent.

But the Herald Sun understands the Magpies this week added a games-based trigger for a third season after initially offering only a two-year deal.

It is still considerably less money than the Power’s guaranteed three-year deal, but the Pies will not buckle on their latest offer.

Given a salary of around $300,000 at Collingwood, it means Goldsack would sacrifice a minimum of $300,000 and as much as $600,000 to stay at the club that gave him a chance as a rookie.

The Gippsland-born premiership player has told the club he wants to stay and even has a brother who works in ­finance at Westpac Centre.

But with the Power in the premiership window, offering a guaranteed deal and more money, he is a good chance to leave the Pies.

The loss of the versatile swingman means Collingwood could take the field next year missing half its 2010 premiership team and minus 2100 games of experience in 12 months.

The Herald Sun first reported Goldsack’s contract impasse in July, with manager Anthony McConville saying “we are not on the same page”.

“There needs to be more work done, particularly from their end, and we have got three or four months to work through it,’’ he said then.

The Pies would be hopeful of receiving a second-round compensation pick for Goldsack, although the Tigers received nothing when they lost 26-year-old Matt White to the Power.

If Goldsack departs, the club will have lost 11 premiership players since 2004, with Brent Macaffer unlikely to play a meaningful role next year given his knee surgery.

A club that Nathan Buckley says was the fourth-youngest this year will be without 947 games in retirees Nick Maxwell, Luke Ball, Quinten Lynch and Ben Hudson.

The Pies last year lost 1194 games of experience from the departures of Darren Jolly, Alan Didak, Ben Johnson, Heath Shaw, Andrew Krakouer and Dale Thomas.

The Pies this week retired Luke Ball despite his determination to play on, with the 2010 premiership player farewelled by the Collingwood faithful last night.

He has not yet ruled out playing on elsewhere but it seems unlikely another club would offer him a deal despite his outstanding leadership. The Pies have warded off Adelaide’s interest in exciting midfield talent Tim Broomhead.