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

 

[Old Campaigner]

I still think he’s one heavy tackle away from retirement

 

[Doss]

Well, we can only hope his luck finally takes a turn.

 

[Call Me Cake]

Doesn't he still have to front up to panel first though?

 

[Old Campaigner]

Give him Tom Cutler

12

Tom Cutler

Age

30

Ht

192cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.1

4star

K

11.7

4star

HB

6.4

4star

M

4.7

4star

T

1.7

4star

MG

317.5

4star

D

15.5

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

6.0

3star

M

4.5

4star

T

1.5

2star

MG

317.5

4star

D

12.0

3star

K

8.4

4star

HB

3.6

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

’s egg, it’s the only way

 

[ghostdog]

I still think he’s one heavy tackle away from retirement

Agree. This is where I think the club has a duty of care somehow. Not sure how though; apart from ensuring Coxy knows the risks... feels like the club needs to take the responsibility of weighing up the likelihood and taking the emotion out of the decision making by making the decision for him.

 

[DERO]

Hopefully he has spent the layoff drinking icecream.

 

[Keystone agony]

Agree. This is where I think the club has a duty of care somehow. Not sure how though; apart from ensuring Coxy knows the risks... feels like the club needs to take the responsibility of weighing up the likelihood and taking the emotion out of the decision making by making the decision for him.

Well it is out of his hands with the AFL doing checks either independently or via the club

He still has to be given the all clear and remain symptom free after contact and football incidents over the PS

Theres no doubt about it being a last straw, but i believe he gets another straw at some point down the track and everything is different per individual

 

[ghostdog]

Well it is out of his hands with the AFL doing checks either independently or via the club

He still has to be given the all clear and remain symptom free after contact and football incidents over the PS

Theres no doubt about it being a last straw, but i believe he gets another straw at some point down the track and everything is different per individual

I'm saying though, I don't think allowing this charade to continue is in Cox's best interests. I feel like the ckub should have said enough is enough already.

 

[Keystone agony]

I'm saying though, I don't think allowing this charade to continue is in Cox's best interests. I feel like the ckub should have said enough is enough already.

Always an easier thing to say

Imo it should be upto the players to make the call, give them all the research/info/test/risk but let them make the call

Its hard to take away someones dream, especially when so talented and so early

 

[craffles]

Always an easier thing to say

Imo it should be upto the players to make the call, give them all the research/info/test/risk but let them make the call

Its hard to take away someones dream, especially when so talented and so early

So long as they sign an indemnity / waiver that makes sense.

 

[ghostdog]

Always an easier thing to say

Imo it should be upto the players to make the call, give them all the research/info/test/risk but let them make the call

Its hard to take away someones dream, especially when so talented and so early

The club takes away young players' dreams every year. It would be no more difficult than an ordinary delisting once the decision has been made.

In my opinion it would be irresponsible to allow a young person, jaded by their dream, to make that decision. No sport success is worth destroying your brain for. And that physical hill is only one side of this. There's a psychological and emotional side to this to recover from. He has to be willing to go when it's his turn, irrespective of the possible impacts. I also don't trust that he will.
It's precarious. We should set him free.

 

[crackers65]

You wouldn’t want to be doing any contact drills at training with him.

 

[Don Won]

The club takes away young players' dreams every year. It would be no more difficult than an ordinary delisting once the decision has been made.

In my opinion it would be irresponsible to allow a young person, jaded by their dream, to make that decision. No sport success is worth destroying your brain for. And that physical hill is only one side of this. There's a psychological and emotional side to this to recover from. He has to be willing to go when it's his turn, irrespective of the possible impacts. I also don't trust that he will.
It's precarious. We should set him free.

I think this whole thing is the purpose of the concussion panel, to take it out of the clubs and players hands. They have seen the risks and the research and cleared him, I’m assuming they don’t think he is one knock from being retired because you doubt they would clear him.

 

[FootyGuru]

Could he be perfect for that 5th spot on the bench. Chop out the ruck and play a few different roles.

 

[ghostdog]

I think this whole thing is the purpose of the concussion panel, to take it out of the clubs and players hands. They have seen the risks and the research and cleared him, I’m assuming they don’t think he is one knock from being retired because you doubt they would clear him.

He was out for 7 months with concussion symptoms, played 2 games and got symptoms again. He has now been out a further 5 months, so fingers crossed that has been enough time and he goes well. I wouldn't play him.

 

[Duckworth]

You wouldn’t want to be doing any contact drills at training with him.

His last KO was self-inflicted if I remember correctly.

 

[Old Campaigner]

I’m happy for the club to follow the advice of the medical panel, they’re the ones best placed to know. iI guess they’re concerned with the long term prospects of the player and maybe with significant recovery time the risk of permanent damage is low even though the player might be far more sensitive to head knocks. Or maybe there’s just insufficient data for now and the position will change over time.

For me I look at something like the McCartin situation where he was out of the game for a long time, professed to be fully recovered and then got poleaxed by a very innocuous tackle

 

[ant555]

Could he be perfect for that 5th spot on the bench. Chop out the ruck and play a few different roles.

Yes if he gets his confidence back.

 

[boncer34]

I dont like it.

I'm sure he'll be approved by the panel but I still don't like it.

 

[Ambrosia]

His last KO was self-inflicted if I remember correctly.

He got concussion symptoms in the VFL when he returned with no known incident

 

[Ambrosia]

I dont like it.

I'm sure he'll be approved by the panel but I still don't like it.

I guess clubs hands are tied. AFLPA won’t let us delist him anyway

 

[boncer34]

I guess clubs hands are tied. AFLPA won’t let us delist him anyway

Carlton delisted contracted players.

Why cant we?

 

[Ambrosia]

Carlton delisted contracted players.

Why cant we?

I don’t have a good counter argument

 

[Milanista28]

If a dedicated panel can't get it right what hope does the club and player have?

 

[boncer34]

If a dedicated panel can't get it right what hope does the club and player have?

From my point of view I have absolutely 0 doubt that the panel has made the appropriate decision based on their parameters and the evidence provided.

But anecdotally how many athletes have made it back when its got to the point it has with Nik? Any?

Every case is different, I get it, but when someone starts showing symptoms of concussion without any obvious sign of impact or gets multiple (repeat) concussions in a 10 month period, I think its not outrageous to say "sorry you're done."