AFL Player #13: Nik Cox - Subbed out vs GCS

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2024
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 6, Rick Ross

 

[faible]

Still NFI what he's going to be, if anything. Yeah I get he's athletic for his size but who knows what that translates to on an AFL ground against the best.

He played one season on the wing where he averaged 12 touches and 4 marks. He's missed the best part of the two seasons following.

Three years in and I get the feeling the club isn't much wiser on where we're headed with this bloke.

Nick Blakey style ultra tall half-back that can intercept mark and roam up the field?

 

[Call Me Cake]

It's funny how "he's a 'unicorn' and can play anywhere!" has turned into "where the hell do we even put this guy?"

 

[Foxx]

Nick Blakey style ultra tall half-back that can intercept mark and roam up the field?

Yep, Dyson Heppells role.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Nick Blakey style ultra tall half-back that can intercept mark and roam up the field?

Sure, but the fact he’s never played in the backline for us, nor taken many marks, nor shown a piercing kick (prob Blakey’s biggest weapon) would limit the comparison at this stage.

He does have shoulders, so that’s one thing he has on Blakey.

It's funny how "he's a 'unicorn' and can play anywhere!" has turned into "where the hell do we even put this guy?"

Was kinda always gonna be the case unfortunately. Bit of a “he can do anything!” Dodoro type. Yes Adrian, but what specifically?

 

[faible]

Sure, but the fact he’s never played in the backline for us, nor taken many marks, nor shown a piercing kick (prob Blakey’s biggest weapon) would limit the comparison at this stage.

He does have shoulders, so that’s one thing he has on Blakey.




Was kinda always gonna be the case unfortunately. Bit of a “he can do anything!” Dodoro type. Yes Adrian, but what specifically?

He played in the backline at the end of last season both in the VFL and AFL, and was a noted intercept mark there as an U18 according to the people who watched him.

He might play the role a little differently to Blakey (who's about an inch shorter than Cox) but that is roughly the position I'd guess at, and it's the spot Heppell played most of last season in.

 

[yodellinhank]

Just needs to sit at half back and not have an opponent, like the rest of the list.

 

[citizen-erased]

It's funny how "he's a 'unicorn' and can play anywhere!" has turned into "where the hell do we even put this guy?"

He's kinda always been that.
I still think chb.
Mckay - cox - baldwin as the taller options with ridley, redman and mcgrath rounding out the 6.
But as many point out, needs to really up the ante on his urgency, presence and awareness.

 

[Foxx]

It's funny how "he's a 'unicorn' and can play anywhere!" has turned into "where the hell do we even put this guy?"

Well up until this point in time, he's not looking like a Unicorn. He has deficiencies, which restrict him from being really good at any position.

 

[ghostdog]

I also see Heppell's spot as the natural one for Cox. Needs to run more, but his marking ability and his vision can be excellent. Have another look at Cox against Sydney last year when he was starting to find his feet.

I've said elsewhere that I still think we need a Nick Watson type and another big mid to shadow the Setterfield role. Cox needs to perform this year because we can't play all of McKay, Lav, Ridley, Baldwin, Reid, Cox and Hayes in the same backline, and many think Reid and Hayes are coming. Someone in that list will be the trade bait to help us secure the high-value x-factor dynamic small forward we need.

 

[brain taylor]

Cox needs to perform this year because we can't play all of McKay, Lav, Ridley, Baldwin, Reid, Cox and Hayes in the same backline, and many think Reid and Hayes are coming. Someone in that list will be the trade bait to help us secure the high-value x-factor dynamic small forward we need.

have loved his revival as a backman but lav is the obvious one to be squeezed out, cox’s point of difference is that he’s basically a 2 metre flanker, so he fits in fine, and between mackay/baldwin/reid/hayes only two have managed to play meaningful amounts of afl footy, so i don’t think there’s anything to worry about there yet. i wouldn’t be recruiting more defenders but the depth is good for now.

 

[ant555]

I also see Heppell's spot as the natural one for Cox. Needs to run more, but his marking ability and his vision can be excellent. Have another look at Cox against Sydney last year when he was starting to find his feet.

I've said elsewhere that I still think we need a Nick Watson type and another big mid to shadow the Setterfield role. Cox needs to perform this year because we can't play all of McKay, Lav, Ridley, Baldwin, Reid, Cox and Hayes in the same backline, and many think Reid and Hayes are coming. Someone in that list will be the trade bait to help us secure the high-value x-factor dynamic small forward we need.

Who knows what is coming. Every year someone is saying we can not play x / y / z in the same side but it never works out that x / y / z end up all on the list.

 

[IggypopsTshirt]

On closer inspection that ain’t no unicorn.

 

[ghostdog]

Got panned by a track watcher on Blitz today.

Big_bodied_mid:
"Just looks so devoid of any confidence. Really not sure where he fits in. Lacked any impact in defensive drills, and played half back in the 3/4 ground short match play drill but had little influence. To me he almost hangs his head and looks a little defeated in contrast to his first year when he had so much confidence and swagger about him as a top 10 draftee. If it was me, I would play him in the VFL as a mobile CHF or HFF in the Jack Gunston

19

Jack Gunston

Age

33

Ht

193cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.5

4star

K

10.5

4star

HB

5.0

4star

M

5.7

5star

T

2.2

4star

G

1.9

5star

D

10.6

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

2.6

2star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.7

3star

G

1.6

5star

D

11.2

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

4.2

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

2.6

4star

G

0.6

3star

style role and see if he can build his confidence that way. When I look at our defence if everyone fit you have McKay, Reid, Ridley, Laverde, who are all 193-205. You can’t add another 200cm in there and not be torn up by faster and smaller mobile forward lines like Collingwood, GWS and Carlton. To me there is no place for him in defence even though that’s I think where they are planning on settling him for the time being."

 

[dank420_]

Got panned by a track watcher on Blitz today.

copy paste bro

 

[ghostdog]

copy paste bro

Soz. Done.

 

[katana]

i really thought in his first handful of games that his confidence was a huge strength. wonder what the explanation is.

 

[citizen-erased]

i really thought in his first handful of games that his confidence was a huge strength. wonder what the explanation is.

injury and thrown about the place.
need to settle him.

 

[Vander18]

i really thought in his first handful of games that his confidence was a huge strength. wonder what the explanation is.

Suspect playing on a wing and being required to play a specific role within the structure was challenging form. Season 1 I suspect he just went out and played.Have been saying for a while - whatever we ask of him, make it simple so he can go out and "just play" while he regains confidence. Then build on that and and expand to more complex roles over time.

Hopefully he can do this long term..... talented guys exit the system these days if they can't play system based footy.

 

[citizen-erased]

Suspect playing on a wing and being required to play a specific role within the structure was challenging form. Season 1 I suspect he just went out and played.Have been saying for a while - whatever we ask of him, make it simple so he can go out and "just play" while he regains confidence. Then build on that and and expand to more complex roles over time.

Hopefully he can do this long term..... talented guys exit the system these days if they can't play system based footy.

early days he looked a natural (funnily enough as a HF)
might go back and find that hawks game, but he was throwing his weight around, getting reported, etc.

 

[ant555]

Got panned by a track watcher on Blitz today.

Big_bodied_mid:
"Just looks so devoid of any confidence. Really not sure where he fits in. Lacked any impact in defensive drills, and played half back in the 3/4 ground short match play drill but had little influence. To me he almost hangs his head and looks a little defeated in contrast to his first year when he had so much confidence and swagger about him as a top 10 draftee. If it was me, I would play him in the VFL as a mobile CHF or HFF in the Jack Gunston style role and see if he can build his confidence that way. When I look at our defence if everyone fit you have McKay, Reid, Ridley, Laverde, who are all 193-205. You can’t add another 200cm in there and not be torn up by faster and smaller mobile forward lines like Collingwood, GWS and Carlton. To me there is no place for him in defence even though that’s I think where they are planning on settling him for the time being."

Couple of others said he looked pretty mobile playing half back. Guess it is in the eye of the beholder.

Speaking to my source he was neither here or there on Cox. Said he went okay for a bloke who has not done much match stuff so far but needs to start ramping it up from here now he is back to full training.

Al I will say is that in my experience drawn from many years of watching training it you need to take parts of it with a grain of salt. Lots of blokes working on different things but it is often hard to draw too many conclusions when everyone is working on the same game plan and often blokes in match sim have roles to pressure but not actually go 100% depending on the drill. For example the intercept defender often hold back if the are working forward movement drills and only put on nominal pressure to get the forwards leading.

I think Cox will start in the VFL at half back. I think his confidence should grow as he starts to play in the one spot. What he has to sort out is does he have it in him to take the next step or does he lack the mental toughness and will keep taking soft options.

 

[ghostdog]

Couple of others said he looked pretty mobile playing half back. Guess it is in the eye of the beholder.

Speaking to my source he was neither here or there on Cox. Said he went okay for a bloke who has not done much match stuff so far but needs to start ramping it up from here now he is back to full training.

Al I will say is that in my experience drawn from many years of watching training it you need to take parts of it with a grain of salt. Lots of blokes working on different things but it is often hard to draw too many conclusions when everyone is working on the same game plan and often blokes in match sim have roles to pressure but not actually go 100% depending on the drill. For example the intercept defender often hold back if the are working forward movement drills and only put on nominal pressure to get the forwards leading.

I think Cox will start in the VFL at half back. I think his confidence should grow as he starts to play in the one spot. What he has to sort out is does he have it in him to take the next step or does he lack the mental toughness and will keep taking soft options.

I take it all with a grain of salt, I just find the different perceptions of how the players are tracking interesting.

I think Cox starts in the VFL too. I don't see who dislodges from the backline or the forwardline and I don't think he plays wing again. Sad because he showed so much promise, but at the moment I just don't see where he fits in. At best I think he'd play Ridley's role as third tall, but I don't think it will be for the EFC.

 

[D3K91]

I reckon trade him. I think he can be good, but we clearly don't have a position for him to own, nor a position for him to define as his own. Unless he puts on about 7kg (and I saw him today) I just don't see where he fits. Give him a chance at another club.

*Edit: he's a tall, mobile, but slow utility. He's not a KPD. Send him somewhere where he can play that role.

 

[andleanback]

i really thought in his first handful of games that his confidence was a huge strength. wonder what the explanation is.

Injury and being played out of position leading to loss of confidence in his own game

 

[andleanback]

I reckon trade him. I think he can be good, but we clearly don't have a position for him to own, nor a position for him to define as his own. Unless he puts on about 7kg (and I saw him today) I just don't see where he fits. Give him a chance at another club.

*Edit: he's a tall, mobile, but slow utility. He's not a KPD. Send him somewhere where he can play that role.

Shouldn’t be traded until we actually give him a chance to develop in a position we drafted him to play.

 

[D3K91]

Shouldn’t be traded until we actually give him a chance to develop in a position we drafted him to play.

Yeah, but tbh I think he had more value before. I'm not sure we improve his value by playing him in a role that isn't really open enough for him to thrive in.