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

 

[HurlsMeister18]

A brilliant interview with Coxy by Gerald and Robbo tonight on 360

The kid has every lid screwed on right.

Watch it and be very very happy this outstanding young man is an Essendon player.

link ??

 

[Unfazed]

A brilliant interview with Coxy by Gerald and Robbo tonight on 360

The kid has every lid screwed on right.

Watch it and be very very happy this outstanding young man is an Essendon player.

Cox was great. Robbo a little creepier than normal.

 

[Hak94]

I really hope come preseason / the 2022 season that they have settled on his role/position for the indefinite future. Obviously, he can play just about anywhere, but I think for his sake it'd be good to have a sole position he can play and make his own. Perhaps if needed, he slots/is thrown into a position if we need in-game change but for stability and consistency to be found in his game, a player needs to given a set position. Personally, I think given his ability to run the wing should be where is played and we've seen how damaging he can be on there with his ability to mark and kick. I've seen a few folks suggest his ability to read the play would suit playing down back i.e like a Ridley type and perhaps that's where he goes later on in his career but I think with how the game is played now that having damaging players who can run both ways i.e wingers that this is his position. Plus, I think with Reid yet to come in + who we have down there that our taller stocks are pretty settled without the need to throw him back.

As to playing him forward, I wouldn't be against this argument other than I personally think it'd totally take away one of his best abilities as a taller player and that's that he obviously has a pretty solid tank / pace as a 18/19 year old and it'd be a shame to waste that on a forward-50. Sure, having those abilities is important as a forward but it's more suited to a role that sees you move around the ground rather than settling in a forward-50 with the potential to move up the ground as most of the good tall/KPF do in todays game.

I think some of the best examples of what role I'm sort of referring to are when players like Nick Riewoldt later on his career moved onto the wing and looked absolutely insane with his marking/kicking ability. It reinvigorated his career at the end and wow did he do some damage. Same with a player like Matthew Richardson, the guy nearly won a Brownlow when playing that role. I see similar traits in both those players and Cox. The wing is a pretty important role and I'd hate for them to not fully buy into settling Cox here.

 

[NAB777]

I think some of the best examples of what role I'm sort of referring to are when players like Nick Riewoldt later on his career moved onto the wing and looked absolutely insane with his marking/kicking ability. It reinvigorated his career at the end and wow did he do some damage. Same with a player like Matthew Richardson, the guy nearly won a Brownlow when playing that role. I see similar traits in both those players and Cox. The wing is a pretty important role and I'd hate for them to not fully buy into settling Cox here.

On top of their marking ability, what set those guys apart & let them move up to the wing was their running ability. When Daley Thompson spent a little bit of time with the Saints, he watched Riewoldt lead a bunch of speed endurance repeats, and said that he had no doubt that he could have been a top level runner, maybe even Olympic standard.
And Richo's endurance was pretty legendary - I think he went around the Tan in sub 13, which for a 6'6" guy - carrying his physique - was pretty special.

Cox shares these attributes, only he's a better kick than both of them. I wouldn't let him get much bigger, just stronger.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

360 appearance

 

[owen87]

I think it’s pretty simple; leave him on the wing.

He could be the best wingman in the competition for his entire career, and it makes effective use of his utility to basically let him go wherever the hell he needs to be.

No reason to make him play an accountable role at CHB when he can just run and cover the back line off a wing, or drift forward to take a mark.

His stat line against Richmond should be about his career average; 20+ disposals, a goal, close to 10 marks.

 

[Lore]

He can just play the Nik Cox role. He's a prototype, why should he fit in a box?

 

[Ati Tude]

360 appearance

Good albeit short interview. He even speaks more eloquently than Robbo...

 

[Old Campaigner]

Good albeit short interview. He even speaks more eloquently than Robbo...

That’s an extraordinarily low bar

 

[Lore]

Whooshkaa Shows

player.whooshkaa.com

Whooshkaa Shows

player.whooshkaa.com

 

[The Devils Advocate]

That’s an extraordinarily low bar

A bar is a bar to Robbo, no matter how short.

 

[Mercurial89]

I think the best place is the wing.
It's a point of difference we currently have that we should try and exploit. A 200cm wing that can drift from one end to the other who almost always will have a reach advantage on his direct wing opponent.

You send him back he's playing on talls and you send him forward he's playing on talls and though talented you lose that point of difference.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

word on the street is the club officials literally have to kick him out of the club each day as he loves being there so much.

kid burns for it. we haven't had that type of youth around in a very very long time.

 

[astrowizzle]

word on the street is the club officials literally have to kick him out of the club each day as he loves being there so much.

kid burns for it. we haven't had that type of youth around in a very very long time.

Z merrett

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Z merrett

wouldn’t put Merrett in that basket yet as he hasn’t Even committed to us but I get your point

 

[boncer34]

word on the street is the club officials literally have to kick him out of the club each day as he loves being there so much.

kid burns for it. we haven't had that type of youth around in a very very long time.

The street being the interview and club article he did?

Cox: 'I couldn't be happier at Essendon'

Rising Star nominee Nik Cox says every day at Essendon is a blessing.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[andleanback]

wouldn’t put Merrett in that basket yet as he hasn’t Even committed to us but I get your point

Talking about when merrett first came to the club

 

[The Devils Advocate]

word on the street is the club officials literally have to kick him out of the club each day as he loves being there so much.

kid burns for it. we haven't had that type of youth around in a very very long time.

Turns out he just hates traffic.
Perfect for the TAS/NT teams when they come in

 

[HirdsTheWord]

The street being the interview and club article he did?

Cox: 'I couldn't be happier at Essendon'

Rising Star nominee Nik Cox says every day at Essendon is a blessing.

www.essendonfc.com.au

maybe the dude on the street read the article.

Chinese whispers finally paid off for once.

 

[Hird05]

Interesting he said he wants to play a key position. Centre half forward image that. He'd be like a Daniher who kicks goals instead of behinds.

 

[the PILL]

I think the best place is the wing.
It's a point of difference we currently have that we should try and exploit. A 200cm wing that can drift from one end to the other who almost always will have a reach advantage on his direct wing opponent.

You send him back he's playing on talls and you send him forward he's playing on talls and though talented you lose that point of difference.

I've noticed a few live special comments commentators mention this and just how valuable it could be with his tank being able to achieve end to end extra tall dominance.

I think Roo was the last one to dubb it as a very effective strategy/luxury that could be used to exploit teams as his attributes are very unique etc.

 

[Kyptastic]

You could play him KPF, but he’s already shown he can influence the game at both ends whilst still on the Wing by kicking goals or cutting off forward entries.

 

[carnthedons]

You could play him KPF, but he’s already shown he can influence the game at both ends whilst still on the Wing by kicking goals or cutting off forward entries.

You genuinely just give a guy like him the Hird treatment. Go wherever you think you need to Nik

 

[Old Campaigner]

I would have thought his real strength will be his ability to show up anywhere on the ground during the game to take advantage of a favourable matchup.

 

[84859300]

Not mine