What's making news in footy? A new potential new TV rights agreement, injuries, tribunals and comebacks are among the headline makers in Australia's daily newspapers on Thursday, 17 March 2005.

Herald Sun: Channel 7's shock bid to regain live football could push the AFL's TV rights to a staggering $130 million a year, $30 million more than the current deal.

If Nathan Buckley wasn't over the line already, he surely booked a berth for Round 1 yesterday.

St Kilda is undecided if it will risk star full-forward Fraser Gehrig for the season-opener against Brisbane.

Boom Kangaroos recruit Nathan Thompson looks set to fine-tune his preparation for Round 1 with a run in the VFL this weekend.

Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy has earmarked rugged recruit Ty Zantuck to fill the defensive post left by the retirement of Sean Wellman.

The Australian: Shannon Motlop will arrive in Melbourne on Thursday from Adelaide via Darwin in a move which has the Demons smiling but two other AFL clubs unhappy.

Having overhauled the AFL tribunal system, football general manager Adrian Anderson has turned his attention to the competition drafting system. Big changes are planned. Anderson started his job last year slowly but he is in a muck lather now.

Daily Telegraph: Sydney's indestructable midfielder Jared Crouch, who has not missed a game through injury since 1996, is defying rehabilitation predictions after failed shoulder surgery to put himself in contention for Round 1.

Adelaide Advertiser: Matthew Primus will retain the No. 1 guernsey and captain the Port Adelaide Football Club for a record fifth consecutive season. And premiership skipper Warren Tredrea will remain his deputy.

There's courage, pace, potential and a workhorse in Adelaide's attack - and Rhett Biglands wants to be its aerial control tower.

Courier Mail: A loophole in the rules will allow suspended Brisbane Lions duo Simon Black and Jonathan Brown to gain valuable match practice at AFLQ level. Even though Black is ineligible until Round 4 of the AFL season and Brown until Round 6, they can still turn out for Suncoast Lions' trial games in early April.

The Age: Channel Seven has stunned the football world with a bold bid to regain TV rights from 2007.

The friction of their professional roles has brought Grant Thomas and Rod Butterss undone as friends.

Former Kangaroo champion Jim Krakouer will fly back to Victoria in the next 48 hours to begin a new life and see his son Andrew play AFL football for the first time.

The AFL and players' union will resolve Carlton's dispute with Eddie Betts over relocation allowances.

West Australian: Fremantle made a grave error by accepting the two match suspension offered to midfielder Troy Cook by the AFL's match review panel, according to the league's former investigations and reporting officer, Rick Lewis.

Geelong Advertiser: Geelong plans to play key big men Steven King and Brad Ottens on the ground at the same time as much as possible, according to coach Mark Thompson.