Is Cox a liability in our defense?

[The Dawes]

Costs us too many goals with a lack of defensive accountability at the moment. I'd take Presti's stopping power over someone like Cox who can rebound out of defense but lacks the ability to stop his opponents from kicking multiple goals. He must improve in that area. O'Brien may have been suspect early on with his turnovers and awareness but he shuts his man down, which is ultimately the most important thing.

Surely we need BOTH Cox's run and Presti's stopping ability - all things in balance.

No point having 6 Presti's in defence if you can't create anything, or having too many creative players with little defensive ability and conceding too many goals.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Most of us would prefer 6 Cox over 6 Prestigiacomo.

Imagine how creative you could be with 6 Cox!!!

 

[The Dawes]

I was trying to avoid saying that directly.....

 

[Jim #10]

i dont know why MM persists with players like cox. cox should play vfl footy until he meets the minimum defensive pressure required to play afl regardless of his skill with the ball. if we want to build a strong side players have to be able to contribute both ways. this is why didak (supposedly our best player) is not an elite player. he is rated according to when he has the ball and it seems defensive pressure is not even recognised. i am a lot more optimistic about a player like thomas who has shown a bit both ways to develope into a quality player.

 

[DaVe86]

For me, I'd give him plenty of games to build trade value.

 

[Optimax]

Most of us would prefer 6 Cox over 6 Prestigiacomo.

Imagine how creative you could be with 6 Cox!!!

and if they all leak 6 goals in a game like last saturday

that means we conced 36 goals

Make it happen

 

[daics cousin]

I think the only problem with Cox is that he doesn't know when to make the proper decision to take on the opposition.A lot of the time he gets caught out.He needs to stop and assess the situation first before ploughing forward.
If he can make good decisions ,he has got silky skills and will become a better player.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

and if they all leak 6 goals in a game like last saturday

that means we conced 36 goals

Make it happen

It was a penis joke

 

[well left]

I think he has some potential and I love his creativity off half-back but that needs to be combined with some defensive pressure and he does not show enough of it for mine.

I would toy with the idea of moving Thomas to half-back and play Cox on a wing or as a high forward flank. We need creativity coming off half-back but we also need it kicking into our forward 50. Thomas has shown this year that his defensive side has improved whereas Cox is still struggling to come to terms with his role in defense. A straight swap might work wonders for both of them.

 

[Ickirus]

Cox has been good this year, he might not be the best defensively but he holds his own the majority of time, however he can get caught out when the ball comes in quickly, as do most of our defenders. Its up to the mids to pressure the ball carrier, our mids are pretty poor in that respect.

His kicking is good, he might get a couple of clangers once in awhile, but his creativity and ability to avoid tacklers makes up for it. Can't believe some people are having a go at his kicking and yet they will defend players like Toovey, a player who constantly kicks poorly and has no creativity or awareness.

Cox is well in front of guys like Goldsack and Toovey, and there is only room for one of them as in my view we have had too many HBF's in the side for most games this year, especially with Maxwell and Shaw coming back.

 

[Trojan Pies]

Surely we need BOTH Cox's run and Presti's stopping ability - all things in balance.

No point having 6 Presti's in defence if you can't create anything, or having too many creative players with little defensive ability and conceding too many goals.

This was one of our key problems on the weekend. We had N.Brown, Presti, Goldy, Toovey, Harry O and Cox back there. Way too top heavy and no one with the ability to provide run apart from Cox and Harry O to some extent.

You need guys that want to take the game on otherwise the forward thrust is too slow and it gives opposition teams the opportunity to flood back and/or set up their defensive zone.

 

[Rohan25]

Yes he is an absolute liability in our backline. Any opposition coach with half a brain would be instructing their midfield to kick to whoever is on Shannon Cox, and all other forwards to act as a decoy for said player. He avoids body contact in marking contests, and regularly makes crucial and glaring errors.

 

[shawthing09]

I'd like to see Goldy played further up the ground as a tall winger type.

I personally hate that idea. Goldsack panics when in possesion, fumbles the ball at ground level and can't hit targets consistantly enough. You want him around the ball less not more. If Goldsack is going to make it long term he really needs to play accountable defensive football and just focus on stopping his man.

Back on topic with Cox he is going to be a liability out of defence. He is one of those players who watching over the past couple of years has been so frustraighting to watch.

He has obvious talent but is lacking the ability to put it all together. He has questionable intensity, work ethic and commitment.

He would be a good midfielder if he could get fit. A good rebounding defender if he could be accoutable. A good foward if he could commit to all his contests. As it stands his in mans land.

 

[Heater39]

I only want to see at most 1 out of Cox, Goldsack and Toovey in the side at any one time. ATM that player is Cox as he has the best disposal and provides the most rebound. His one on one defense is poor but I think people overrate Toovey and Goldsack's stopping abilities anyway. Once we get Heater and Maxy back in our defence he will look like a much better player imo.

 

[Coin_Toss]

I'd prefer Toovey over Cox to be honest. A defender's job is to stop his man, first and foremost, and Toovey is slowly becoming a very reliable shut down player.

 

[#1 pies]

He gives away way too many goals!

 

[#1 pies]

I'd prefer Toovey over Cox to be honest. A defender's job is to stop his man, first and foremost, and Toovey is slowly becoming a very reliable shut down player.

Ditto.

 

[Quicky]

I would toy with the idea of moving Thomas to half-back and play Cox on a wing or as a high forward flank. We need creativity coming off half-back but we also need it kicking into our forward 50. Thomas has shown this year that his defensive side has improved whereas Cox is still struggling to come to terms with his role in defense. A straight swap might work wonders for both of them.

I've been saying the same thing. People seem to think his fitness will stop him on a wing but it doesn't affect him too badly on the HBF so I don't see it as that big a problem. Mind you it would be better if it wasn't an issue at all

I personally hate that idea. Goldsack panics when in possesion, fumbles the ball at ground level and can't hit targets consistantly enough.

Goldsack is the worst fumbler in the team. Actually we have alot of players who are bad below their knees - makes us look pretty ordinary at times. Toovey almost as bad.

I'm actually very disappointed in Goldsack. He has been really terrible the last two years. I'm sure he wasn't this unaccountable in his first year but it was so long ago I can't really remember anymore. I do remember Walls (I know the height of credibility ) had him as our long term FB after his first year. Actually come to think of it he had Ben Kinnear as our long term CHB about 5 years ago LOL.

I only want to see at most 1 out of Cox, Goldsack and Toovey in the side at any one time. ATM that player is Cox as he has the best disposal and provides the most rebound. His one on one defense is poor but I think people overrate Toovey and Goldsack's stopping abilities anyway. Once we get Heater and Maxy back in our defence he will look like a much better player imo.

Couldn't agree more. We can't carry more than one of them in defence at any one time without our backline becoming very vulnerable. Said it a few days ago but at one point on saturday our backline was Presti, Cox, Toovey, Goldsack and Barham and I was just thinking WTF!!! We are gonna get f-arked here.

 

[Quicky]

Ditto.

No way Toovey is hopeless. Terrible disposal, terrible decision making, terrible below his knees. Cox is way way ahead I reckon Actually make a good poll question, both these guys seem to polarise opinion

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

No way Toovey is hopeless. Terrible disposal, terrible decision making, terrible below his knees.

His disposal and decision making can improve with time. But being that bad below his knees is something he'll never improve. Of the three sins you name, that is the worst of the three,imo.

 

[Axl the great]

His disposal and decision making can improve with time. But being that bad below his knees is something he'll never improve. Of the three sins you name, that is the worst of the three,imo.

Well hell have to improve them in the VFL because the big stage aint really the place to hone your skills.

 

[Quicky]

His disposal and decision making can improve with time. But being that bad below his knees is something he'll never improve. Of the three sins you name, that is the worst of the three,imo.

Its always going put his already suspect disposals and decision making under un-needed pressure too.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Its always going put his already suspect disposals and decision making under un-needed pressure too.

Correct. His fumbling at ground level leaves him little time to make a good decision or kick to a target.

In his defence in terms of disposal skills, I do admit he's a pretty damned good handball. Thats not enough to save his career of course but I thought I'd mention it. Even last week he knocked out a couple of very handy 20 metre clearing handballs to an opponent who was clear in space.