List Mgmt. Is Mason Cox the Answer?

[Ant Bear]

We have a ruck crisis looming. Lobbe is our last ruckman with the season-ending injuries to Redden and Renouf, and the potential for a season-wrecking disaster is real if Lobbe gets hurt too.
The options are Trengove, Westhoff, Shaw, Harvey and Butcher. None are recognized ruckman, and, bar Trengove, I regard them all as too soft to spend more than a quarter in the roughhouse. We clearly need to revise our strategy at seasons' end and enter next season with at least 4 ruck options. Redden will return, possibly not Renouf, so we need to pick up two.
The answer may have been in front of us at the Hawthorn game. Mason Cox is bigger than Sandilands, with the leap of Natanui allegedly, but is 24yo and has never played a competitive game. If the big American was impressed by the experience last Saturday night ( and who wouldn't be?) and decides to sign with Port, how long will it take him to pick up the nuances and skills of the game? The other factor, of course, is whether we are prepared to take the risk on development. It would cost us very little; an international rookie spot does not take up a list spot, and the potential upside is exciting, but are we better off trading for an experienced ruck and drafting a young Australian kid to develop?

 

[PowerKidd]

Personally I think we should go hard for Lycett he's from SA and out of contract with Natinui and Sinclair being their 1st choice Rucks, Lycett can also play forward and we need another key forward, also he probs wouldnt cost us alot 3rd rounder or late 2nd at best.

Mason Cox would be good as a project ruck!

 

[Alyx]

 

[RossFC]

We get 2 international rookie spots don't we?

Flynn as a backflanker who runs like hell and Cox who is tall and has near elite fitness to boot is almost like that Geelong player, Blicavs I think

 

[elsler]

The question is . Is lycett better than reddo and will reddo be injury free next year if not then yes make a play for him if not then lets draft one

 

[PowerKidd]

The question is . Is lycett better than reddo and will reddo be injury free next year if not then yes make a play for him if not then lets draft one

regardless if Redden is fit or not i think we shud go for Lycett because hes pretty much ready for AFL now, and if we drafted Mason Cox as an International Rookie we'd have a good Project o work with. Lycett is a Port Magpie aswell

 

[Seanybruz]

If we weren't prepared to take the risk on his development we wouldn't be one of the 4 clubs bidding for his services. I don't think he's the answer yet especially in the short term but he'd be a pretty big wildcard after developing for what will likely be the entire 2015 season.

If he was a regular size ruck prospect there wouldn't be as much interest shown but because he's an athletic giant even at his age he'd be well worth taking a punt on. If he's adapted to the game by 25/26 that gives us 5 years of service which will come in handy for our looming premiership window.

I wrote in the draft thread that the upside of him picking up the game is pretty big, he could take over a larger percentage of the ruck duties than other duel ruck combos which would free up Lobbe to spend more time up forward which he could do better than most resting rucks.

I hope being at such a great game on the weekend makes a good impression on him, we really couldn't have done much more to sell our club.

 

[Power Pete]

Mason Cox's was sitting in front of us at the Magpies v Roosters game and when Renouf went down with that knee injury i tapped the bloke on the shoulder sitting next to him and told him to sign him up straight away. Mason was there wearing Power gear with Power recruitment Cripps.

 

[Ant Bear]

Sponsorship and membership are bonus issues as well. Getting the PAFC into the American market would be a financial boon, but it cannot be the reason that we sign him. He has to be able to play on merit within three years.

 

[crazybunta]

Just wondering with the international rookies. I remember Flynn was signed up before the actual draft. Is it possible to sign up Cox in the same way, and if so is it possible for him to play games this year? (I assume there is a formal list that gets registered before the season which would mean he isn't able to play for us)

 

[FallingLiefs]

We get 2 international rookie spots don't we?

Flynn as a backflanker who runs like hell and Cox who is tall and has near elite fitness to boot is almost like that Geelong player, Blicavs I think

he's AFL standard endurance, not so much elite in endurance but it's good. it's more his athleticism which is elite.

 

[PowerKidd]

Just wondering with the international rookies. I remember Flynn was signed up before the actual draft. Is it possible to sign up Cox in the same way, and if so is it possible for him to play games this year? (I assume there is a formal list that gets registered before the season which would mean he isn't able to play for us)

Flynn was drafted in the exchange period (Free Agency) I tink thats when we can sign Internationals so the answer to youre question is NO

 

[Turiyasangitananda]

With his pace and height, he would be near unstoppable on the lead. Get him kicking and we could kill two birds with one stone

 

[Ant Bear]

Actually, if I remember correctly, there was a 210cm tall kid in last year's draft that a few on here suggested we look at. I don't know much about him athletically or even remember his name, but surely he would be worthy of consideration instead, given that he is younger and has actually played the game?
Can anyone help out with details?

 

[Alberton Proud]

Posted this in the review thread also

Was having a bite to eat in Leigh St when Mason walked past with a Port official and a couple of other young kids

Good idea by PA to get him too see the buzz in the city and the crowd streaming into the ground

Was also on the ground at the Southern end during the warm up

I expect that the whole experience would have left quite an impression

.... and part from being ridiculously tall, he also has massive feet !

 

[Forzaport]

Cox isn't the answer but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do everything we can to sign him up. Could be absolutely anything.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Why would you ask if Cox is the answer? He is 3 seasons away from making an impact on our football club's on field performance. He maybe part of the long term solution but he isn't the answer we need is in 2015 and hope to hell nothing happens in 2014 to Lobbe.

Mason is trialing this morning out at Port. Saw him in Banks street walking to the game as I was walking to the March. said g'day and wished him luck with his trials. Power Pete said Jason Cripps was next him at the Magpies game. He was next to him at the Power game and has been next to him all weekend.

 

[Andre]

Obviously not the answer short term, but at as a low-risk high potential reward for playing 2016 / 2017 onwards if we can get him, bloody do so!
Next year we need four ruckmen on the list beside Cox (including any on the rookie list). Lobbe and Redden are given's. Renouf is hopeless. If we can trade in a second / third string ruck like Lycett for bikkies do it. Otherwise a big bodied ruckman from SANFL/VFL/WAFL. And rookie / late round draft a young ruck.

 

[n4nirvana]

If Mason Cox signs up with us

His nick will now be "The Answer"

 

[FallingLiefs]

i disagree, he could play games next year if required. i know it sounds silly but if Lobbe were to go down and he was on our list he would play if he understood the game. Renouf didn't exactly get many possesions and we used him to just contest the ruck, it sounds as if Cox could be a better tap ruckman already, it's not as if we lose anything around the ground. if he happens to get free kicks or possessions either handball off or long down the line ie Blicavs last year. i don't think i'm overselling him, probably just underselling the importance of a ruckmans disposals. my basic point is he has to be better than Shaw+ Trengove combination

 

[PowerKidd]

If Mason Cox signs up with us

His nick will now be "The Answer"

Butcher was nick named ''The Future'' and look what happened lol

 

[Powerstufff]

We have a ruck crisis looming ....

Nah, the sky often seems to be falling in that regard. If Sam Gray and Jack Neade were our tallest players I might be worried. Dean Brogan appeared via an unplanned transition (Primus and Lade unavailable). Lobbe himself appeared via an unplanned transition.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

i disagree, he could play games next year if required. i know it sounds silly but if Lobbe were to go down and he was on our list he would play if he understood the game. Renouf didn't exactly get many possesions and we used him to just contest the ruck, it sounds as if Cox could be a better tap ruckman already, it's not as if we lose anything around the ground. if he happens to get free kicks or possessions either handball off or long down the line ie Blicavs last year. i don't think i'm overselling him, probably just underselling the importance of a ruckmans disposals. my basic point is he has to be better than Shaw+ Trengove combination

If Cox plays next year, then I will go and shoot our recruiters, Rohde and maybe even Ken unless we have the worst run ever with injuries. During the off season we have to build our ruck list so that it looks something like

1. Lobbe
2. Redden
3. Lycett or some other AFL ruckman in the 23-26 age bracket
4. Go get the best ruckman at state level either with last draft pick, PSD or rookie pick who is around 25
5. Rookie draft an 18 to 20 year old kid who is built like a brick shithouse is at least 200cms tall but has endurance issues so we get Burgo to spend 2 years working on his tank

Mason can got at 6. That would give us 6 out of 44 + 2 Category B rookies = 46 on the list.

 

[Andre]

Butcher was nick named ''The Future'' and look what happened lol

So we should reverse psychology him and give the nickname of 'The Failure'?

 

[Ant Bear]

I also wonder about his commitment. To him, it all looks shiny and new and exciting, but once he gets into the hard slog of training, on a rookie wage, and realizes how far behind he is, will he stick around?