Although conventional wisdom has suggested all along that the Western Bulldogs and Geelong Cats share the box seat in the pursuit of in-demand free agent, Zak Butters, a media magnate has outlined what a pitch from another Victorian powerhouse could look like, and it's a compelling case.

Meanwhile, one of last year's most intriguing delisted free agents appears a moral to suit up in new colours for the first time.

All that, and more, in media buzz...

"We'll speak to the AFL about this."

The fixture has again had public detractors, with Swans coach Dean Cox confiding in Fox Footy's AFL360 program that his club are less than satisfied with the lack of clean air afforded his club's all-Sydney derby against GWS on Friday night.

The sure-to-be-spiteful contest begins just half an hour after Geelong and the Western Bulldogs renew hostilities in what's sure to be a great game, too. Having them on the same time beggars belief, or at least, that's how Cox feels.

"I find it quite strange, to be honest," Cox said.

"If you're trying to build traction (for the code in the northern states)... the battles we've had with GWS have been unbelievable ever since the inception (of the Giants), but certainly in the last eight-10 years.

"To clash against (a game between) two great Melbourne clubs, is just different. We want to try and build as much traction as we possibly can, and get the Sydney football world having their eyes on two teams going at it from across the bridge.

"It's something that is a little bit different, and we'll speak to the AFL about it."

"If they are serious, they will be unbelievably hard to beat."

Those were the words of Craig Hutchison overnight, when discussing the impending free agency decision of Port Adelaide's stand-in skipper, Zak Butters.

A front-loaded contract worth $11 million over the seven-year lifetime of the deal, immediate captaincy, and a list built around him are the pillars of the pitch.

"They are uniquely placed to be the winner, if they industrious."

"Tell me he wouldn't look at that seriously."

American import eyeing delightful derby debut

When concerning pictures emerged last week of a groggy Sean Darcy singing the Fremantle song after an inspired victory over Collingwood, questions quickly arose around whether or not his concussion would open the door for a former Magpie to sport Dockers' purple for the first time.

Speaking to Fox Footy's AFL360, coach Justin Longmuir certainly did not shut down this line of questioning.

“It's (two rucks) the model we've gone with for a while now,” Longmuir said.

On Cox specifically, Longmuir offered that it was opportunity, not prowess, that had kept him out of the side so far this season, with the tandem of Darcy and the versatile Luke Jackson, preferred.

“I don't think there's any doubt whether he's AFL ready or not, it's been a matter of opportunity,” he said.

Longmuir also offered that his recruit was disappointed to have not been in the side that vanquished the club with which he shares so much history, on Friday night.

The Dockers sit second on the table after a stellar fortnight, with Longmuir ecstatic about stacking wins early in what looms as a make-or-break year in his tenure.

"It's good getting the lessons early in the season from a win rather than a loss. There's (sic) no easy games, so you've got to stay in the moment and not get ahead of yourself.

"You take wins no matter how they come. The pleasing thing about us over the course of the first five games is that we've been able to find different ways to win. We've kicked big scores on a couple of occasions, but other times it's been a little bit more dour, and we've relied on our defence and our backs to hold up.

"You want to be flexible in the way you play because the game throws up different things."

 

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