AFL Player 13: Nik Cox - cleared to return! - 11/11

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2026
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 6, Rick Ross

 

[Lore]

I thought it was always the back injury?

Yes, unless you read The Age

 

[Call Me Cake]

I prefer 3-5

 

[eth-dog]

I prefer 3-5

View attachment 1636638

Pity it's wrong.

 

[eth-dog]

Wonder which end of the ground we're thinking once he's back. With Baldwin in defence, could he play forward?

 

[Lore]

Wonder which end of the ground we're thinking once he's back. With Baldwin in defence, could he play forward?

He could be anything, but they had him training in defence over the preseason

 

[eth-dog]

He could be anything, but they had him training in defence over the preseason

I know, but Baldwin was forward as well. Baldwin looks really good in defence so we might switch ends for him as well

 

[Blind Turn]

Maybe Reid has a bit of forward craft, just to complicate the considerations even further. Tall, with a nice kicking action. Is it out of the realms of possibility that he might be worth developing as a target forward?

I think that Hayes will make it as a defender. Has excellent game sense back there it would seem. We have him, Baldwin, Cox, Ridley, Zerk, Monty (and Stewart) which is a decent set of talls to make into a defensive unit.

 

[Lore]

Third-year utility Nik Cox’s return to play from a back injury has been pushed back by two weeks as he continues to make steady progress through his rehab program.

McPherson said the Bombers will be extremely cautious with the 20-year-old’s recovery.

’Coxy’ has been doing an enormous amount of strength work in the gym to rehab is back, and despite this taking some time, he is coming along well. His most recent scans have shown gradual improvement, so we will continue with his strength work, and re-introduce him to running in the coming weeks ahead of his return to play later in the year.” McPherson said.

“We’ll continue to take a conservative approach with this injury to ensure we give him all the time he needs to heal properly.”

Injury news: Zerk-Thatcher, McDonald-Tipungwuti to train fully, Guelfi suffers setback

All the latest injury news ahead of round four.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[#23 Hill]

Sad to see such potential sidelined through injury. He has all the attributes to be an absolute jet.

 

[BrunoV]

We’ve got to keep the team secret til the last minute and make late changes. It’s sickening really. As a professional league, still such an immature mindset, along with media stuff. Players have to be robots at all time, not allowed a personality.

Yeah, but what about throwing off the opponent who will put all of that work into said player?

It takes a lot of planning to ignore a player and back your system.

 

[astrowizzle]

I know, but Baldwin was forward as well. Baldwin looks really good in defence so we might switch ends for him as well

Something about him reminds me of hooker in the backline. He just seems to stand in the middle of packs and plucks out over head marks. I rate him

 

[DERO]

Something about him reminds me of hooker in the backline. He just seems to stand in the middle of packs and plucks out over head marks. I rate him

i can't even remember what he looks like.

 

[Milanista28]

Something about him reminds me of hooker in the backline. He just seems to stand in the middle of packs and plucks out over head marks. I rate him

His kicking was what I noticed 1st, calm and able to make quick decisions.

 

[astrowizzle]

His kicking was what I noticed 1st, calm and able to make quick decisions.

He has really good vision and as you say quick decisions. Good back man.

 

[citizen-erased]

Is it too tall to play 3 KPDs from Zerk, Reid, Cox & Hayes?
And if Hayes/Zerk remain, then one of Reid/Cox link up with Wright/Jones forward.

That's 6 talls, plus a ruck in the side.....

 

[faible]

Is it too tall to play 3 KPDs from Zerk, Reid, Cox & Hayes?
And if Hayes/Zerk remain, then one of Reid/Cox link up with Wright/Jones forward.

That's 6 talls, plus a ruck in the side.....

Cox could almost classify as a medium given his mobility

 

[FlyingV]

i can't even remember what he looks like.

He has a massive horn sticking out of his head

 

[bombreys]

Is it too tall to play 3 KPDs from Zerk, Reid, Cox & Hayes?
And if Hayes/Zerk remain, then one of Reid/Cox link up with Wright/Jones forward.

That's 6 talls, plus a ruck in the side.....

Possibly, but also nothing to worry about for a while. Hayes will be 3+ years away.

At that stage, one hopefully becomes depth - which we’ll need, given the injuries to Zerk, Reid and Cox

 

[ant555]

Is it too tall to play 3 KPDs from Zerk, Reid, Cox & Hayes?
And if Hayes/Zerk remain, then one of Reid/Cox link up with Wright/Jones forward.

That's 6 talls, plus a ruck in the side.....

We always say this but reality says it most likely will not happen anyway. There will always be an injury or a form issue anyway. Cox is a bit of a different story as although he is 200cm he has decent pace, is good below the knees and a good engine so he plays more like a medium anyway.

 

[BrunoV]

Is it too tall to play 3 KPDs from Zerk, Reid, Cox & Hayes?
And if Hayes/Zerk remain, then one of Reid/Cox link up with Wright/Jones forward.

That's 6 talls, plus a ruck in the side.....

What you're worried about won't eventuate because if Reid, Cox and Hayes fulfil their potential as defenders BZT will not be playing.

 

[citizen-erased]

What you're worried about won't eventuate because if Reid, Cox and Hayes fulfil their potential as defenders BZT will not be playing.

But zerk is god......

 

[citizen-erased]

We always say this but reality says it most likely will not happen anyway. There will always be an injury or a form issue anyway. Cox is a bit of a different story as although he is 200cm he has decent pace, is good below the knees and a good engine so he plays more like a medium anyway.

Which probably then throws a different conundrum of cox, ridley, redman.

As you say though, it will become a story of form/injury and depth. Or one leaves for more game time
Just need the 3 lads to kick on now

 

[fishardansin]

What you're worried about won't eventuate because if Reid, Cox and Hayes fulfil their potential as defenders BZT will not be playing.

Hello, June 2022.

 

[fishardansin]

I'm actually really worried about what this all means. Surely all of this time not playing and training means that they miss out on years of development so their ceiling diminishes.

 

[Old Campaigner]

I'm actually really worried about what this all means. Surely all of this time not playing and training means that they miss out on years of development so their ceiling diminishes.

It's not like they spend the entire time in a sensory deprivation tank.

They'll be attending all the meetings, studying the gameplan, reviewing post match footage, doing strength and skills work where injury permits, and so on.

It would be better if they were out there doing the full training but it's hardly a disaster