One of footy's more entertaining beefs is set to reignite in Saturday's AFL Grand Final, with Mason Cox and Dayne Zorko to meet on a footy field for the first time since last year's fiery preliminary final.
Playing for Collingwood in the 2025 preliminary final loss to the Lions, Cox kicked the opening goal of the game after Zorko was penalised for blocking Cox's run at the ball. The American nailed the set shot and ran at Zorko to rub it in.
The Brisbane veteran engaged with Cox, pulling the ruck's protective eyewear from him face in the fracas.
Zorko was fined $5000 for the act, and a war of words erupted in the aftermath.
Immediately after the game, the Lions star conceded he "probably" shouldn't have ripped Cox's glasses off.
"If a seven-foot guy comes running at you in the streets, what are you going to do? It doesn't really make sense to me that someone can initiate it, then you're just standing up for yourself and protecting yourself," he told SEN after the match. "Should I have grabbed his glasses? Probably not ... I don't really care, I get to play in a Grand Final this week."
Cox wasn't particularly complimentary of the Brisbane veteran in the days after the incident. Speaking on ESPN's Red Time podcast, Cox said he went after Zorko because it's easy to get in his head and he gave away the free kick that led to Cox's goal, but grabbing his prescribed eye protection was too far.
"I'll just say this, I think he's kind ... I think he's a great man, a great role model, a person I'd be great friends with ... are all things I would not say about Dayne Zorko," Cox said at the time.
Zorko missed the Round 12 clash between the Lions and Dockers earlier this year with a quad injury, meaning Saturday's Grand Final will be their first meeting on the footy field since that preliminary final.
When asked about the rivalry with Zorko on Red Time on Wednesday, Cox was coy, but threw in one little jab about the Lion's fiery personality.
"I'd probably put my hand out and shake his hand," Cox said with a smile when asked what would happen if he kicked a goal and went looking for Zorko. "Look, Dayne's a great player, I know a lot of people love the jabs back and forth.
"He's a fantastic AFL player, there's no doubt about that, you've got to give the man credit where it's due. And yeah, look, he's obviously back in a Grand Final, three years straight.
"He's obviously the opposition this week, and you try to [do whatever you can do] to be able to get into other peoples' heads. I think myself and him are both firestarters, firecrackers -- whatever you want to call them -- for teams.
"So yeah, I respect him as a player."
Cox is aiming to win his second premiership after winning with Collingwood in 2023, while Zorko and the Lions are going for a threepeat, having won the 2024 and 2025 premierships.