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

 

[citizen-erased]

Way too tall.
McKay is a lock.
Ridley is a lock.
Between Reid and Cox I'd say Reid is favoured.
Laverde can scrap at ground level. Not sure Cox still has that fight in him - it's been a while.

Then McGrath (lock) and Hind.
Martin the 7th.

Cox can mark, run all day and distribute on both sides. I'd be saying to him, look, Marto playing back is not ideal. We want him back on a wing. Push him out. Otherwise I don't see where he plays. McKay, Ridley, Reid and Cox is too tall.

Redman and baldwin probably starters for me

Baldwin- mckay - mcgrath
Redman - reid/cox - ridley
Hind

Missed a trick focusing him as a chf from day one.
Wright + cox
Langford + stringer/caddy
Menzie + gresham
Plus the mids resting fwd.

 

[ghostdog]

Forget about Cox being 200cm. Plays like he is 190cm. He was doing just as well matched up on the medium and small defenders on Saturday when he had to. I think he has to force his way on for sure but the bonus if he does will be his ability to play on a range of sizes other than the quick small forwards. The height factor would not be an issue. He is certainly not competing with Reid for a spot. He does not have the body strength to play that role yet or maybe never.

Okay, I'm surprised he could match up on smalls. That spins me out. Did he train as a forward though? ...or did you mean he eas matched up on medium and small forwards?

...and to be clear, you think that McKay, Ridley, Reid and Cox can form a functional backline? ...at whose expense? Laverde?

 

[ghostdog]

Redman and baldwin probably starters for me

Baldwin- mckay - mcgrath
Redman - reid/cox - ridley
Hind

Missed a trick focusing him as a chf from day one.
Wright + cox
Langford + stringer/caddy
Menzie + gresham
Plus the mids resting fwd.

That backline composition, with Reid, is exactly what I think. Laverde is depth for me, and should be learning Setterfield's role.

Cox in the forwardline troubles me because he looked more comfortable as a backman and Harry Jones needs to be found out this year. So Cox is also depth.

 

[Keystone agony]

Way too tall. Otherwise I don't see where he plays. McKay, Ridley, Reid and Cox is too tall.

Absolutly it is

Exactly what i said i believe?

Even Laverde instead of Cox is too tall replacing him in that 4 imo

 

[Keystone agony]

Forget about Cox being 200cm. Plays like he is 190cm. He was doing just as well matched up on the medium and small defenders on Saturday when he had to. I think he has to force his way on for sure but the bonus if he does will be his ability to play on a range of sizes other than the quick small forwards. The height factor would not be an issue. He is certainly not competing with Reid for a spot. He does not have the body strength to play that role yet or maybe never.

Its not just about 'who he can play on' but its his whole package of ability to gatger at ground ball, rebound, agility, kicking which is generally what you lose by going too tall

Mckay, Ridley, Cox, Reid even with Mcgrath, Hind and Redman is too tall and not good enough at ground level imo

 

[Foxx]

If he plays back he needs to be less laconic and more rip s**t or bust...
Otherwise he plays 2s.

He is slow with and without the footy.

While I agree he lacks urgency to the point he's almost a liability.
I also think in the right role it wouldn't be a factor.
That role for me is a taller intercept half back.
His job would be to help out the key backs in the air, and feed off to the smaller defenders and mids. Dyson Heppells role. Sorry Hepp.

McKay, Ridley, Reid and Cox would intercept everything. Opposition sides would have to run it inside 50. And even then, 3 of those guys a very proficient at ground level.

 

[eth-dog]

With Hunter's injury I wouldn't mind seeing him forward instead but defence is probably the go.

 

[dank420_]

Missed a trick focusing him as a chf from day one.

He was playing in the fwd line in his first year was he not?

 

[Squeaky]

While I agree he lacks urgency to the point he's almost a liability.
I also think in the right role it wouldn't be a factor.
That role for me is a taller intercept half back.
His job would be to help out the key backs in the air, and feed off to the smaller defenders and mids. Dyson Heppells role. Sorry Hepp.

That is well put - just the words I was looking for.
I don't think he can just lope around like he does and be effective in any backline role - his opponent could cash in on his lack of urgency where he gets caught between the contest he is trying to get involved in and a clever opponent...

 

[Vindicater]

I can see Ridley, Reid, Cox and McKay working. Particularly as you will have a smaller midfielder coming back to support.

Ridley is good at ground level and faster than people think.

My main problem is that you would basically be taking Ridley away from his most dangerous position as a floater as that is what Cox would need to do in that configuration.

 

[citizen-erased]

He was playing in the fwd line in his first year was he not?

hasn't been settled anywhere since day 1.

That backline composition, with Reid, is exactly what I think. Laverde is depth for me, and should be learning Setterfield's role.

Cox in the forwardline troubles me because he looked more comfortable as a backman and Harry Jones needs to be found out this year. So Cox is also depth.

i think the trick has been missed now. he looks a type that needs to play where he's comfortable and that's back.

 

[ant555]

Its not just about 'who he can play on' but its his whole package of ability to gatger at ground ball, rebound, agility, kicking which is generally what you lose by going too tall

Mckay, Ridley, Cox, Reid even with Mcgrath, Hind and Redman is too tall and not good enough at ground level imo

He has no issues at ground level

 

[ant555]

Okay, I'm surprised he could match up on smalls. That spins me out. Did he train as a forward though? ...or did you mean he eas matched up on medium and small forwards?

...and to be clear, you think that McKay, Ridley, Reid and Cox can form a functional backline? ...at whose expense? Laverde?

He played defence in the Sim . Sometimes he was on the medium or small forwards. Sometimes his match up was Jones or Caddy . Baldwin generally took the deepest tall forward. His role if he gets in the side will be playing on the third forward or a medium / small that is not quick.

 

[Pweter]

He played defence in the Sim . Sometimes he was on the medium or small forwards. Sometimes his match up was Jones or Caddy . Baldwin generally took the deepest tall forward. His role if he gets in the side will be playing on the third forward or a medium / small that is not quick.

The bolded made me think of Fletcher playing on Phil Matera, proof that tall agile(ish) guys can play on smalls.

 

[brain taylor]

Its not just about 'who he can play on' but its his whole package of ability to gatger at ground ball, rebound, agility, kicking which is generally what you lose by going too tall

cox’s whole appeal is that he’s a tall who plays like a medium though

 

[ghostdog]

hasn't been settled anywhere since day 1.

i think the trick has been missed now. he looks a type that needs to play where he's comfortable and that's back.

Yep, agreed.

 

[ghostdog]

The bolded made me think of Fletcher playing on Phil Matera, proof that tall agile(ish) guys can play on smalls.

Yeah I was thinking of Fletch this morning too when I read that. Not a terrible outcome!

 

[Keystone agony]

He has no issues at ground level

Having no issue is a scale. Hes certainly not elite in the area for example

 

[ant555]

Having no issue is a scale. Hes certainly not elite in the area for example

Does not need to be elite if he is not playing on Charlie Cameron or Luke Breust types. He has already shown that when he has played well at AFL level he is good below his knees. He is not one to continually run over the footy.

 

[ant555]

With Hunter's injury I wouldn't mind seeing him forward instead but defence is probably the go.

I know a good portion of this is when he was on the wing but the 2021 highlights show he could easily adapt to playing half forward.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

He might be in the backline but it’d have to be a remarkable preseason for it to be in the seniors in Round 1.

Ridley, McKay, McGrath, Kelly, Laverde, Redman and Hind are surely the front of the queue based on what we’ve seen.

 

[fishardansin]

I can see Ridley, Reid, Cox and McKay working. Particularly as you will have a smaller midfielder coming back to support.

Ridley is good at ground level and faster than people think.

My main problem is that you would basically be taking Ridley away from his most dangerous position as a floater as that is what Cox would need to do in that configuration.

Ridley's most dangerous position is playing on the opposition's least dangerous medium/small. Let the Joker run up the field and leave Ridley to clean up the defence.

I think Cox could double up that role and we could easily play:

2 KPDs - McKay and Laverde
2 Mediums - Ridley and Redman
2 smalls - McGrath and Hind

... in 2024 .. and I hope by 2025 it is:

2 KPDs - McKay and Reid
2 Mediums - Ridley and Cox
2 smalls - McGrath and Redman

As Ant has been saying, I want them to work on their craft in VFL and force their way into the team.

 

[fishardansin]

I know a good portion of this is when he was on the wing but the 2021 highlights show he could easily adapt to playing half forward.

I've been saying all summer that I'd love Cox to be that KM covering CHF we've never had! Perkins, Cox and Langford make a half-forward line that have all had midfield minutes (which I think helps them build running patterns that fit in with that) and can cover a lot of ground, as well as take a mark. They would make a lot of room for Stringer, Wright and Gresham to work, and give us a lot of options to play fast through.

 

[citizen-erased]

I know a good portion of this is when he was on the wing but the 2021 highlights show he could easily adapt to playing half forward.

Sigh
I really want him as our CHF

 

[Godzke]

Can we remove the unicorn from the thread title?

He's a better chance of being selected as a unicorn on a Gridley square than an AFL team.