HERE'S one for the conspiracy theorists.

Within 45 minutes of Nat Fyfe being announced as the new captain of Fremantle, a post about the announcement on the AFL's official Instagram page had received more than 5000 likes.

Among them was one from the Hawthorn Football Club.

Why would the Hawks offer their tick of approval? Everyone, from 'Snowy on the tram' to the next-door neighbour of someone who cleans the pool of Alastair Clarkson's third cousin, has heard the rumour that he is going to play for Hawthorn next year.

It all makes sense doesn't it? The Hawks off-loaded champions Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis at the end of last year, and will retire Luke Hodge, Josh Gibson and possibly Shaun Burgoyne at the end of this season.

This will create an enormous hole in their salary cap to lure Fyfe, as they have Gibson, Burgoyne, Jack Gunston, James Frawley, Jaeger O'Meara and Tom Mitchell in previous years, among others.

Make nice to Fyfe and surely he will come. 

It's an interesting theory, one to sustain talkback callers and keyboard warriors from now until October.

But then how do you explain Leigh Montagna? The St Kilda veteran also liked the AFL's Instagram post. Hmmm ... and the Saints have the cap space and the draft picks to enter the Fyfe bidding wars too.

The Freo superstar is out of contract at the end of this year and the biggest name in the free agency pool (he is a restricted free agent).

The plot thickens …