Player Watch Mason Cox

jackcass

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I've said it many times before...

There are so many kids and experienced players across the country and we went with a 26yr old foreigner who has never played the game before?


He is treacle slow, barely takes a mark, adds nothing with ball on deck and is out muscled by smaller opponents in aerial contests and can't keep his feet.
It's an indictment on our recruiting staff that this occurred and an indictment on our coach who actually keeps playing despite all of the above and that he thought he was a better option than a Travis Cloke.
And so many times people have responded that this is just a ridiculous comment.

He was a Cat B rookie over and above the standard list of 44 players. Just how many of these alternate kids actually qualified as Cat B rookies? Can you name a few who were just champing at the bit to leave their current sporting activity to come to the Pies? Richmond? Yep, we tried him. Wyatt? Yep, we tried him. Anyone else?
 

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jackcass

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3 seconds flat over 20m is plenty quick. It's his agility, not his straight line speed, that holds him back. Especially defending at ground level. I don't disagree he has flaws in his game, namely his marking, body work in the contest and agility.
Be interesting to get a listing of current AFL players 20m time trials just to get a sense of where he sits on that continuum. Reckon there'd be a few lagging behind him. Be also interested to know if his time has improved following his time in the system.
 
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And so many times people have responded that this is just a ridiculous comment.

He was a Cat B rookie over and above the standard list of 44 players. Just how many of these alternate kids actually qualified as Cat B rookies? Can you name a few who were just champing at the bit to leave their current sporting activity to come to the Pies? Richmond? Yep, we tried him. Wyatt? Yep, we tried him. Anyone else?
So, In summary, we are shit at identifying Cat B type talent regardless of whether they come from a different sport or a different country. Dont forget Shea as well!!!

Cox will be depth again in 2018 but beyond that I doubt he has a future beyond that.
 

jackcass

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Maybe thats because Moore has the ability to get to the ball first and therefore doesnt need to lay the tackle quite as often.
More to do with midfield time and playing in congested areas. I'd take a guess that Moore's average tackle numbers have increased since he's assumed the 2nd ruck duties.
 
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More to do with midfield time and playing in congested areas. I'd take a guess that Moore's average tackle numbers have increased since he's assumed the 2nd ruck duties.
Chicken and egg. He gets more midfield time because hes more athletic and more likely to win the ball around the ground.

Cox tries hard and his one percenters are useful. Never gives up. But you cant deny hes only performing many of these one percenters because hes not capable of winning enough of the ground ball in the first place.
 

jackcass

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So, In summary, we are shit at identifying Cat B type talent regardless of whether they come from a different sport or a different country. Dont forget Shea as well!!!

Cox will be depth again in 2018 but beyond that I doubt he has a future beyond that.
Clarke was fine until he copped a disease. Mooney was tracking well until he seemed to lose interest. Dyas had injury issues.
 
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No, Moore got more midfield time because we stopped playing anyone else who could do it. White and Cox have both shown they're more than capable in that role.
White is.

Cox is capable at the hitouts and that is all. Personally I'd have played Cox in the ruck ahead of Moore but thats only because hes a better tap ruckman and more dispensable in case of injury (and surprise surprise, Moore broke down). But hes not the equivalent around the ground of Moore. Or White. Or even Keeffe.
 

jackcass

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White is.

Cox is capable at the hitouts and that is all. Personally I'd have played Cox in the ruck ahead of Moore but thats only because hes a better tap ruckman and more dispensable in case of injury. But hes not the equivalent around the ground of Moore. Or White. Or even Keeffe.
Clearly he gets more tackles as well.
 

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Why do we persevere with this bloke seriously? someone please enlighten me as to what he does for the team? he cant mark the ball, he cant run, he cant bend over.

I dont get it these internationals are so much of a pot shot and i dont care what H/W measurables they have at some point you just have to stop and this guy is literally the definition of Look like Tarzan plays like Jane. Watching the game yesterday with him in the Ruck against Jobe Watson was pure comical Jobe pushed him aside all 6'10 of him like he was a toy doll.
and yet he averages the same goals per game as Moore, despite having much less experience and opportunity. Prob averages the same disposals and pressure acts as Moore also.
 
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Well stop making incorrect/incomplete assumptions and I won't have to keep correcting things for you.
Average tackles Cox 2.2
Moore 1.8
Not much in it. One extra tackle every three games.
On the broader stat one percenters they are dead even

Perhaps it you that is making the assumptions?

He is an ordinary footballer who can only

win hitouts
mark uncontested
kick straight from a set shot within 30 metres

The rest of the time he is generally second to the ball and is forced into tackling/defending/coralling which he tries hard at.

Moore has him covered on just about every other stat. As does White for that matter.
 
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Average tackles Cox 2.2
Moore 1.8
Not much in it. One extra tackle every three games.
On the broader stat one percenters they are dead even

Perhaps it you that is making the assumptions?

He is an ordinary footballer who can only

win hitouts
mark uncontested
kick straight from a set shot within 30 metres

The rest of the time he is generally second to the ball and is forced into tackling/defending/coralling which he tries hard at.

Moore has him covered on just about every other stat. As does White for that matter.
Nobody can expect a 211cm guy to produce the same stats as a mobile athletic 200cm player like Moore. Yet he nearly does (which says more about Moore imv). Cox is there as a role player to create a contest in the air and kick some goals and help out in the ruck. For such an inexperienced player with his background; he does this rather well I think and still has plenty of upside.
 

jackcass

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Maybe thats because Moore has the ability to get to the ball first and therefore doesnt need to lay the tackle quite as often.
Actually, you made the above post.

Average tackles Cox 2.2
Moore 1.8
Not much in it. One extra tackle every three games.
On the broader stat one percenters they are dead even

Perhaps it you that is making the assumptions?

He is an ordinary footballer who can only

win hitouts
mark uncontested
kick straight from a set shot within 30 metres

The rest of the time he is generally second to the ball and is forced into tackling/defending/coralling which he tries hard at.

Moore has him covered on just about every other stat. As does White for that matter.
I merely highlighted that Cox average's more tackles off the back of his midfield time. You're the 1 trying to turn it into a war and peace pissing contest over absolutely nothing. Your initial post was wrong, I corrected it. A simple thank you would suffice.
 
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He is an ordinary footballer who can only

win hitouts
mark uncontested
kick straight from a set shot within 30 metres
I have commented on this a few times recently. If anything the thing Cox can't do often enough is mark uncontested. He looks unnatural in a marking situation and because of his size we think he should take more contested marks but he does in fact take them.

An anomaly he probably shares with no one else in the AFL is his contested mark numbers are higher than his uncontested mark numbers career wise( closing now currently 23:22). That needs attention and if he got a few more uncontested and stat numbers went up his value would increase. He will get more contested marks as his game matures but its really not one of his faults. In a contasted situation he takes some of them and the others generally come to ground. That's not a bad starting point.
 

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I have commented on this a few times recently. If anything the thing Cox can't do often enough is mark uncontested. He looks unnatural in a marking situation and because of his size we think he should take more contested marks but he does in fact take them.

An anomaly he probably shares with no one else in the AFL is his contested mark numbers are higher than his uncontested mark numbers career wise( closing now currently 23:22). That needs attention and if he got a few more uncontested and stat numbers went up his value would increase. He will get more contested marks as his game matures but its really not one of his faults. In a contasted situation he takes some of them and the others generally come to ground. That's not a bad starting point.
It is when we don't have natural crumbers and the ball is often swept away at ease from his contests.

Also looking at his contested mark numbers with out taking into context with actual vision of how he takes them and HOW many simple ones he drops in contested situation leads to fools gold.
 
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It is when we don't have natural crumbers and the ball is often swept away at ease from his contests.

Also looking at his contested mark numbers with out taking into context with actual vision of how he takes them and HOW many simple ones he drops in contested situation leads to fools gold.
Yeah agreed, its that unnatural goofy look he sometimes has going for a mark that makes us assume he takes no contested marks. If he can iron out that and take a few more of them he will suddenly become something to be reckoned with. Its possible as his marking numbers, in particular his contested marks, in the VFL this year are off the chart, way above the numbers anyone produces in that AFL. Will be interesting to see how much of that he can transpose to the AFL with time.
 

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Maybe thats because Moore has the ability to get to the ball first and therefore doesnt need to lay the tackle quite as often.
Or you could say that our inside 50 to goal count is the worst in the comp and the way it pings out on the rebound our forwards like Moore should be working harder to apply pressure to keep it in there.
Maybe it is just me but Moore has really disappointed me in his lack of second and third efforts when he does not have the footy, not having the physical capabilities to do it is one thing but not bothering to do it is far far worse a crime.
 
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I have commented on this a few times recently. If anything the thing Cox can't do often enough is mark uncontested. He looks unnatural in a marking situation and because of his size we think he should take more contested marks but he does in fact take them.

An anomaly he probably shares with no one else in the AFL is his contested mark numbers are higher than his uncontested mark numbers career wise( closing now currently 23:22). That needs attention and if he got a few more uncontested and stat numbers went up his value would increase. He will get more contested marks as his game matures but its really not one of his faults. In a contasted situation he takes some of them and the others generally come to ground. That's not a bad starting point.
Depends on the definition really. When I see him take a mark two feet above the next pair of hands and their is nobody giving him any body contact,I consider that to be uncontested. But as soon as theres actual body contact hes easily put off. So maybe in the actual definitions thats defined as a contested stat. So perhaps my definition was wrong. If I rewrote my post it woudl be more like this.....One of the three things hes any good at is taking a mark above his head id theres no pressure applied to him.

Agree he doesnt take genuine uncontested marks or get cheap kick or handball stats. All players need to get their share of uncontested possessions and prove they can be linkmen. Harder for a ruckman of course and Grundy is the best at it but hes miles behind all the others.
 
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