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

 

[faible]

Do concussion issues prevent you from lifting heavy? I was somewhat surprised he didn't emerge looking like Rhys Mathieson after all his time out of the game

They can prevent you from training, yes. Pretty sure one of the guys who've retired due to concussion said they basically couldn't really do any form of exercise and struggled with daily life due to concussion issues.

 

[Lore]

They can prevent you from training, yes. Pretty sure one of the guys who've retired due to concussion said they basically couldn't really do any form of exercise and struggled with daily life due to concussion issues.

Effectively bedridden in some cases, highly sensitive to light and movement. And the symptoms can come and go so you could get out of bed and then get hit with it iirc

 

[ant555]

Right now he is a defender who also has good forward craft. Can he be a winger ? not sold on that but what he can do is run and set up play so if he is in defense you can use him to intercept mark and he has the speed to carry the ball and the skills to use it well. Right now what he is not is a beast and there would be questions if he will ever be a beast. He can defend but he will have to use his height / reach to advantage and model his defending on how Fletcher did it as I can not see him every being a player who will wrestle the big beasts. Will need to use his pace of the mark to intercept or his leap and reach to spoil.
What he has shown as a forward is he can lead up and mark or work in from the side for a pack mark. As a forward his game will be about leading and work rate rather than standing and wrestling. He could pull off playing high half forward as well as he is a good mark and his pace gives him separation. Given he can play on quickly and kick on both sides with ease he can easily find the deeper targets.
My biggest concern is how much body development he has but in saying that I do not want him to become a big plodder. I like the lanky tall free mover he is and the fact he has a midfielders skill set as far as his kicking goes. My tip is if he comes on well early he will actually be able to play half back flank to start with and have some impact. If all goes well I can see a 200cm Jordan Ridley that can play both ends but also use his height to advantage against a bigger opponent if need be.
I would simply be saying to the club. Plenty of core strength work Pleeeeeeeeease and pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease bring Fletch in to work with both him and Read.

PS - I vaguely remember his old man playing footy. My step dad was a keen Fitzroy supporter so I saw the odd Lions game here and there. Anyway I have all his notes on the Lions players from back in the day. Skinny . Needs to bulk up a bit where some of his notes. Played at both ends of the ground

Just looking back at my initial reactions.

First up I wanted us to pick him. I did rate him. Lesson for me was small sample size equals danger. He looked super impressive in the practice match form and looked to have really taken a step up from his under 17 form. Problem was it was only a few practice games. With no season there was no chance to see how the year would pan out and expose a few deficiencies.

Second I would say his lack of body development has hurt and along with some injuries has knocked his confidence and any competitive hunger he had.

Just hope they take him along slowly. Has the potential to be anything but has had limited footy last year. Just hope they stick to their word and ease him through this year.

I do wonder if they had of eased him in a bit would it have been different. He showed some decent form in his first year but wing was a big ask at AFL level and his form gradually dropped off as the year went along and he was put under more physical pressure. Has struggled to build any momentum since then.

 

[jmoo wan]

Just looking back at my initial reactions.

First up I wanted us to pick him. I did rate him. Lesson for me was small sample size equals danger. He looked super impressive in the practice match form and looked to have really taken a step up from his under 17 form. Problem was it was only a few practice games. With no season there was no chance to see how the year would pan out and expose a few deficiencies.

Second I would say his lack of body development has hurt and along with some injuries has knocked his confidence and any competitive hunger he had.


I do wonder if they had of eased him in a bit would it have been different. He showed some decent form in his first year but wing was a big ask at AFL level and his form gradually dropped off as the year went along and he was put under more physical pressure. Has struggled to build any momentum since then.

you didn’t log in to your alt account

 

[Cold Sober]

Unfortunately, I think he's one head knock away from a fork sticking.

 

[FootyGuru]

For some reason that myth did seem to explode. Maybe because it was natural for him to swap from right to left without an issue. As you say he was never an elite kick.

He can kick it a long way. Hes a neat kick though, definitely isn’t a flaw.

 

[FootyGuru]

TBH I’m not sure that he has that many AFL attributes. Yes, he’s tall, but he’s also skinny as a rake still / lacks strength, which makes him unviable for most tall / KPP positions. He also lacks speed, which means he can’t get separation in the contest. Also doesn’t have much mongrel that I can recall.

He doesn’t lack speed. Especially when you compare it for someone his height.

Would be considered in the top echelon for speed and endurance for players his height.

He has shown the ability to defend at afl level.

When drafted he was touted as being dual sided, as if he was an 8 out of 10 off both feet, when in actual fact he’s a 5 or 6 out of 10 of either foot. Not exactly a weapon.

I wouldn’t say he is a Merrett level kick, but again for his height would be in the upper echelon of kicks, both sides. He is slow from hand to foot so can be disposed while in the kicking motion, that’s his weakness here.

He has good endurance, but he struggles to be involved in the play, so thus far it hasn’t really helped him.

He’s been thrown around positional and shown the ability to play wing, key back, and forward at afl level. I hope he can further improve and become good in at least one of those positions,

His other supposed strength was his agility for a big guy - which is sort of true - it’s just that he’s too slow to compete with ground level players, so again not really a needle mover.

his agility and ability to gather the ball is again elite for someone of his height.

The one oddity though is that in his first year, he looked like he could be the best player in the draft - took contested marks at each end of the ground, kicked big goals, etc. Just hasn’t been anything like that since his first injury.

Just desperately needs muscle - like with Harry Jones. Without the bulk, I don’t see him making it unfortunately.

Edit: Best thing for his career would be to do a thilthorpe and spend the next 6 to 12 months putting weight on - and in Cox’s case - not being concussed; then show up at the end of the year or next year with more bulk. Won’t happen, but really should.

He has put on size. Remember he is still quite young many players at his age/ height don’t even play senior football till they are 22/23. He has many traits that could make him a good afl player, concussions aside, it’s up to him if he wants it enough though.

 

[bombersim]

Do concussion issues prevent you from lifting heavy? I was somewhat surprised he didn't emerge looking like Rhys Mathieson after all his time out of the game

Well that was what was being mentioned a few months back.
I have no problem with him not lifting with concussion, but his slender build is looking terminal to his career. I know he wants to play footy, but hopefully he and the club think more strategically about how to handle his body etc to make him effective in the game.

I’m sure others here have a more informed opinion on his efforts in the weights room, I’m speculating from the cheap seats. Hope the sort it.

 

[bombersim]

TBH I’m not sure that he has that many AFL attributes. Yes, he’s tall, but he’s also skinny as a rake still / lacks strength, which makes him unviable for most tall / KPP positions. He also lacks speed, which means he can’t get separation in the contest. Also doesn’t have much mongrel that I can recall.

When drafted he was touted as being dual sided, as if he was an 8 out of 10 off both feet, when in actual fact he’s a 5 or 6 out of 10 of either foot. Not exactly a weapon.

He has good endurance, but he struggles to be involved in the play, so thus far it hasn’t really helped him.

His other supposed strength was his agility for a big guy - which is sort of true - it’s just that he’s too slow to compete with ground level players, so again not really a needle mover.

The one oddity though is that in his first year, he looked like he could be the best player in the draft - took contested marks at each end of the ground, kicked big goals, etc. Just hasn’t been anything like that since his first injury.

Just desperately needs muscle - like with Harry Jones. Without the bulk, I don’t see him making it unfortunately.

Edit: Best thing for his career would be to do a thilthorpe and spend the next 6 to 12 months putting weight on - and in Cox’s case - not being concussed; then show up at the end of the year or next year with more bulk. Won’t happen, but really should.

I intended the post to be more analytical than “savage”. He’s more limited than I’d like, but I still think he can make it - probably just not as the superstar we wanted or needed.

That said, I thought Perkins looked a superstar in the making and well…

 

[Milanista28]

A kick he executed in his 1st season vs Carlton?, I watched it live and seem to remember thinking that the kick was outrageously good. Maybe just an ordinary kick and I had big Cox glasses on.

 

[Keystone agony]

Its a positive so far that we havnt heard about a head knock, thats enough for me so far, i touch wood and hope he gets to xmas break. Been a good chunk of training

Has size, marking, excellent kicking and (both penetration and touch), agility for his size

The head knocks is what has held him back imo

 

[ant555]

He can kick it a long way. Hes a neat kick though, definitely isn’t a flaw.

Yes but he was often described as an elite kick which he is not.

 

[FootyGuru]

Its a positive so far that we havnt heard about a head knock, thats enough for me so far, i touch wood and hope he gets to xmas break. Been a good chunk of training

Has size, marking, excellent kicking and (both penetration and touch), agility for his size

The head knocks is what has held him back imo

I think there’s definitely a player there, concussions aside it’s whether he wants it enough though is what might hold him back.

Same goes for Perkins, he has all the tools, but might not have the desire needed to compete consistently against the other also talented players in the league.

 

[FootyGuru]

Yes but he was often described as an elite kick which he is not.

He often looked elite compared to the rest of our side. Are they continuing to train him up forward?

I think cox has a chance to out play Harry jones, Edwards, McMahon, wright in the forward half

 

[Maxabillions]

He’s a good kick and equally as good a kick on his left as right. That’s an elite characteristic isn’t it?

 

[ant555]

He often looked elite compared to the rest of our side. Are they continuing to train him up forward?

I think cox has a chance to out play Harry jones, Edwards, McMahon, wright in the forward half

Will find out exactly what they want to do with him during January sim. At the moment it is more build up. Has done some work forward.

 

[ant555]

He’s a good kick and equally as good a kick on his left as right. That’s an elite characteristic isn’t it?

Depends on what you want to call elite I guess. It is a good trait and something a lot do not have but in general not actually elite as far as disposal goes. More average range.

 

[FootyGuru]

Depends on what you want to call elite I guess. It is a good trait and something a lot do not have but in general not actually elite as far as disposal goes. More average range.

His distance is elite, he often went shorter with his kicking option though. That’s probably due to playing more wing and down back. I personally think it could be a weapon getting him on a lead and being able to wheel around both sides and get the ball in deep and quick.