AFL Player #13: Nik Cox 🦄 - Skipper called him 'the Unicorn' in an interview (confirmed!)

[Beerfish]

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

 

[Yoda_]

need is forward
natural fit is back

so im tipping ruck.

inside mid ?

 

[The Prosecutor]

So Rutten was on the radio and suggested Nik Cox will be settled into a KP role.

Do we start the most Essington discussion of all right now?



Forward or back??

Ben Rutten - Tuesday July 19

Essendon coach Ben Rutten joined Gerard, Sam and Leigh Matthews.

player.whooshkaa.com

 

[The Prosecutor]

Both. He has that type of ability.

Can he even play the Carlisle 'This club is ****ed' role on the bench?

 

[ant555]

Can he even play the Carlisle 'This club is *ed' role on the bench?

That depends on the snow conditions.

 

[Albertross]

View attachment 1443992

2 moon boots plus puffer jacket! Kind of reminds me if the Jobe double denim days!

 

[Keystone agony]

So Rutten was on the radio and suggested Nik Cox will be settled into a KP role.

Do we start the most Essington discussion of all right now?



Forward or back??

That surprises me a bit

It was always going to happen i just didnt think it would be year 3 with what we have on our list. Also still hold hope with the wingman role, he suits the modern wingman very well

I dont see him as a forward, but wont surprise me if they try him there and it fails. They revert to wing or down back

Makes for interesting discussion around a few. Eyre, Mcbride, Stewart, Phillips, Brand. From what i saw of Brand i was definitely giving him 1 year. Also think the ready to go ability of Stewart at either end would be important. Like if we lost Wright atleast i have small confidence Stewart can play a role there

 

[fairbump_playon]

2 moon boots plus puffer jacket! Kind of reminds me if the Jobe double denim days!

SWOON

 

[Vander18]

You try Cox forward initially given his talent level and athletic profile.

Suspect he probably isn’t a forward and will end up in defence but you have to try it. Good luck with a match up if it clicks for him….

 

[owen87]

You try Cox forward initially given his talent level and athletic profile.

Suspect he probably isn’t a forward and will end up in defence but you have to try it. Good luck with a match up if it clicks for him….

Taller Nick Reiwoldt type basically.... brutal match-up if it clicks.

 

[ant555]

The only issue I see with him as a forwards is he is not always a great kick at goal. Kicks on both sides with ease but overall his kicking can fall back to average at times. He has the athletic ability and marking power and he is good at ground level. From what I saw early this year one of his best quarters of footy was when they chucked him in the ruck for 10 or so minutes. Can not remember the game exactly but he went from not being in the game at all to finding the footy and involved.
He could easily play a forward / ruck role further down the road if we needed him to.
From the live footy I managed to see and watching replays of his other games he was dominant at CHB. Intercept marking and even a bit of run and the odd bounce.
The wing proved too much to learn it at AFL level. He was running himself into the ground trying to get to contests he was never going to get to or he was getting exposed by second guessing himself and not committing to getting to a contest or holding his position. Once sides started to put a bit of body work into him towards the end of his first year they nullified his effectiveness as far as marking went.

 

[TheGrizz]

The only issue I see with him as a forwards is he is not always a great kick at goal. Kicks on both sides with ease but overall his kicking can fall back to average at times. He has the athletic ability and marking power and he is good at ground level. From what I saw early this year one of his best quarters of footy was when they chucked him in the ruck for 10 or so minutes. Can not remember the game exactly but he went from not being in the game at all to finding the footy and involved.
He could easily play a forward / ruck role further down the road if we needed him to.
From the live footy I managed to see and watching replays of his other games he was dominant at CHB. Intercept marking and even a bit of run and the odd bounce.
The wing proved too much to learn it at AFL level. He was running himself into the ground trying to get to contests he was never going to get to or he was getting exposed by second guessing himself and not committing to getting to a contest or holding his position. Once sides started to put a bit of body work into him towards the end of his first year they nullified his effectiveness as far as marking went.

The Nick Blakey role is his best chance I think.

Despite his height, he basically takes the 4th forward with McCartin x2 and Rampe taking the others and Blakey uses his speed and ball use to set Sydney up from the back half.

If we play a backline of Reid, Laverde, Cox, Ridley, Redman, Hind and McGrath, that allows Cox to take the 3rd/4th forward and be an oversized rebounding defender rather than a genuine CHB.

 

[Ati Tude]

What do the Cats do with Blicavs these days? Isn't that the roadmap for Nik as Blicavs is the most similar type given athleticism and height.

 

[eth-dog]

What do the Cats do with Blicavs these days? Isn't that the roadmap for Nik as Blicavs is the most similar type given athleticism and height.

Everything that isn't key forward.

 

[BrunoV]

 

[The Prosecutor]

The only issue I see with him as a forwards is he is not always a great kick at goal. Kicks on both sides with ease but overall his kicking can fall back to average at times. He has the athletic ability and marking power and he is good at ground level. From what I saw early this year one of his best quarters of footy was when they chucked him in the ruck for 10 or so minutes. Can not remember the game exactly but he went from not being in the game at all to finding the footy and involved.
He could easily play a forward / ruck role further down the road if we needed him to.
From the live footy I managed to see and watching replays of his other games he was dominant at CHB. Intercept marking and even a bit of run and the odd bounce.
The wing proved too much to learn it at AFL level. He was running himself into the ground trying to get to contests he was never going to get to or he was getting exposed by second guessing himself and not committing to getting to a contest or holding his position. Once sides started to put a bit of body work into him towards the end of his first year they nullified his effectiveness as far as marking went.

It's why I'm more inclined to try Reid up forward, especially if Brand/Eyre/BZT continue to come on as KPD's.

 

[Mikevk123]

Wouldn’t mind Coxy becoming our second ruck option if available. Key Forward/ruck or defender.

 

[owen87]

Wouldn’t mind Coxy becoming our second ruck option if available. Key Forward/ruck or defender.

He's a lot of weight short of playing in the Ruck

 

[Skipper_]

He's a lot of weight short of playing in the Ruck

Didn’t stop us from throwing him in there at times early last year if I recall correctly.

 

[Mikevk123]

I don’t think he’s going to be a bonified key position player. At best a third key Defender or forward.

Has a good tank for a tall lad so if we can turn him into a Blivcas type that would be handy.

 

[owen87]

Didn’t stop us from throwing him in there at times early last year if I recall correctly.

It didn't, but he wasn't any good in there, if the goal is that he's actually a good second ruck option and not simply a tall bloke in the ruck getting smashed.

Blicavs is pushing 100kg these days and is the closest athletic profile to Cox in the AFL currently.

 

[MiguelM]

Just get him in the gym. Needs 10kg & strength work.

Got pushed off the ball way too easily.

Yeah, he was lost on the wing. Ran around like a headless chicken most of the time.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

I don’t think he’s going to be a bonified key position player.

Very humerus

 

[andleanback]

Some positive. Vision of him back training, doing sprint running etc. looks to have gotten over the injury. Should be able to build over the off season and be fit and ready for day 1 of preseason.

 

[WindyHillWarrior]

Some positive. Vision of him back training, doing sprint running etc. looks to have gotten over the injury. Should be able to build over the off season and be fit and ready for day 1 of preseason.

Didn’t you hear? The coteries have sacked him as well

 

[ant555]

Some positive. Vision of him back training, doing sprint running etc. looks to have gotten over the injury. Should be able to build over the off season and be fit and ready for day 1 of preseason.

So he is ready to play this week