World Footy News

American Mason Cox made a big step towards a career in the AFL today, playing his first footy match in anger. Recruited from the US AFL Combine which was held in Los Angeles in 2014, the 211cm ruckman has only previously played in Collingwood’s intraclub match since signing with the Magpies in 2014.

 

Obviously he has been doing a lot more than that though, on top of fitness and intensive skills work he has had to move half way across the world and learn everything he can about the new sport that has adopted him.

His transition though has impressed the club enough that they selected him to play against arch rival Carlton in the NAB Challenge preseason match today played at the QEO in Bendigo. In what was formerly Carlton heartland, the match was sold out and played in warm but pleasant conditions.

 

Carlton kicked out to an early lead in the match with their own big men marking and converting up forward. Down back Irishman Zach Tuohy was repelling Magpies attacks and looks to be settled as a senior player at Carlton now. The Blues took a 15 point lead into quarter time.

 

Collingwood would have to work their way back into the match and gradually did that through the second quarter. Just before the end of the quarter Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy came off with an injury to his side. Cox was warming up on the boundary line, and it is unclear whether the plan was for him to be in the game one minute before half time, or perhaps after halftime. At any rate he was in the game, Interntional rookie to the rescue!

 

Immediately the action found him as he found himself last in the queue as a long kick came to a pack on the flank. Cox was not in a position to mark but threw his hands towards the ball and contributed to a spoil. Seconds later there was a ball up near the centre of the ground. His first stat, being a hit out and using his height and vertical leap he was able to win that first contest with a tap to advantage as his teammate ran onto the ball and sent it into the forward line. As the half time siren sounded the Magpies had reduced the gap to just four points.

 

Grundy’s exit from the game meant that Cox would have to do most of the ruck work for Collingwood in the second half. All in all he acquitted himself pretty well. He finished with 16 hit outs to add to the one handball he managed early in the second half. Most watchers would have like to see him kick to see how developed he is with that skill he has become.   But that was not to be today.

 

The second half played out with both sides threatening to break away a times but the game never reaching any great heights. In the end the Blues managed to hold off a late charge by Collingwood to run out 7-point winners but could have easily gone the other way if the Pies had kicked straighter.

 

Today was a good start for Cox who could follow in the footsteps of the likes of Mike Pyke and Marty Clarke who were able to make preseason debuts in the senior team and then make their AFL debut in the same season. They know that the big man can at least give them a good contest in the ruck. In reality though it will likely be the luck of Collingwood’s experienced ruckmen with injury that will determine the club’s need for Cox’s services. In recent seasons they have not had the best run with injuries to ruckmen.