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

[Beerfish]

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

 

[BrunoV]

Eyre was 100% a forward when he was drafted. Weid was picked up as a back up forward / ruck. The position he actually played on Friday. Being no good is the issue. They did not go into the draft thinking oh well if he does not make it we will play him back. It has simply been the KPF we have picked up have been no good.

But hey keep bleating about the past. Not like it has not been done before. I think the club is actually restructuring the recruitment . Hell they even traded up to pick a player that fills a need last year.

So a players best position isn't relevant unless it's a point your trying to make?

It's almost like Eyre hasn't been tried forward in the AFL system, like that didn't work and like he didn't then look immediately more comfortable in adefence.

Does that sound like a forward or is the game he played as a 13 year old more relevant?

 

[ant555]

So a players best position isn't relevant unless it's a point your trying to make?

It's almost like Eyre hasn't been tried forward in the AFL system, like that didn't work and like he didn't then look immediately more comfortable in adefence.

Does that sound like a forward or is the game he played as a 13 year old more relevant?

He played plenty of games as a forward for our VFL and Calder . Not sure why you are trying to change history.

Google Josh Eyre draft and you will see forward and we drafted him as a forward .

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Nik himself said this time last year he sees himself a defender

deaf ears this has fallen on.

OK... feels like plenty of time was wasted with the winger rubbish then.

Not good for his development, typical stupid Essendon shit.

You'd think McKay, Ridley, Redman, Martin and McGrath are locks.

Reid, Cox, Laverde, Kelly, Hind fighting it out for maybe 1-2 spots.

 

[BrunoV]

He played plenty of games as a forward for our VFL and Calder . Not sure why you are trying to change history.

Google Josh Eyre draft and you will see forward and we drafted him as a forward .

Re read what I posted and stop trying to justify things you don't agree with.

 

[ghostdog]

Depends who we play. Personally I think Cox has to prove he is not soft and he really wants it but if he finds his early form and the form he showed in his limited under 18 year he can rebound. Despite him being 200cm I do not consider him as a tall. We are playing Martin off half back to move the footy. It is not just speed. Also no point having speed if they have nothing to kick to which is why I have been going on about of pathetic ability to mark a contested footy down the line and leaving us exposed to sides running a 12 man midfield zone and strangling us to death.
We should be playing Davey forward as forward pressure is not our thing either.
McKay and Reid are both intercept marks along with Ridley. If we are intercepting a lot then the likes of Martin / Redman / McGrath can all run. McGrath still has pace. His problem is often trying to make something happen that is not there. Go back and watch last year and count how many times he ran himself into a road block by trying to create something that was not there.
I have massive doubts on Cox now but if he does pull the finger out then he is a massive point of difference. He is not just some 200cm bloke.

I think the backline needs to be dynamic in terms of the options it has to rebound, and I think small players who can carry with speed are an essential aspect of that. Martin, Ridley and Reid being able to clear with their kicking is obviously a key part of that as well; we need to be dynamic enough to do both and I'm hoping Jayden is a key to that going forward.

You make the point about running backs having nothing to kick to, and I agree that's an issue, but I don't think it's isolated to the forwardline. Hopefully Durham and Duursma's endurance helps make that easier and Jones gets back to his best as well. In any case, it doesn't diminish the need for the forwards to develop their game. Rather, running backs carrying the ball up the ground should compel that development. And yeah, I agree Martin, Redman and McGrath can run, but (McGrath and Martin especially) can't necessarily break lines with their run the way a Saad/McKenna can. So I think there is always a point to having speedy players; they create opportunities and in combination with a defenders with laser kicks they make the attacking foray from D50 that bit more unpredictable.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like nothing more than seeing Cox at his full potential. It might be unpopular, but I think that player could be better than Ridley. It's also why I think, in time, it could be worth experimenting with Ridley further up the ground. But nah, I'm not as confident as you that we can sustain four talls back there.

 

[ant555]

Re read what I posted and stop trying to justify things you don't agree with.

These are your words are they not ?

It was 4 players of key position height whose best footy was played as tall defenders.

You don't want to create the undue impression that we recruited a very limited range in types of player.

I am saying that Eyre best footy was not played as a tall defender before the draft or the year after the draft . His best footy that got him drafted was as a forward for Calder.
It is not even correct on Cox who had played good footy at both ends in a small sample size and the knock on him before the draft was what actual position would he play.
As for trying to justify things I do not agree with surely that is what you do on a forum is it not ?

Getting ack to Cox I suspect he does not have the hardness needed.

 

[andleanback]

Pick 8 on an 'intercept' half back. It's about as dumb as pick 1 on a back pocket.

Because Luke Darcy was carrying on like we've never seen a player about 200cm do cool athletic things it's distracted from the reality that Cox's traits don't lend themselves to unicorn play.

Does he have Fletcher's speed to play small? No evidence of that. Does he have the physical strength or power associated with the good intercept defenders? Obviously not.

He's a tall, painfully thin guy whose best position doesn't even capitalise on his biggest physical strength which is his long distance running power.

Keep trying to turn him into a wingman. He'll be lucky to be on a list as a half back. We don't need height from that 7th defender. We need the flexibility to play small. There is no sign Cox gives us that.

He’s not an intercepting half back long term though, he’ll be an intercepting key.

 

[andleanback]

Couple of years old but this is not a bad read, as Blicavs is the closest thing to a template:

It's an all-round Blitz: Stats show Cat's amazing versatility

After mastering every position on the ground Mark Blicavs should be in All-Australian contention

www.afl.com.au

Couple of issues

- Blicavs, despite early doubts, is a genuine footballer. He attacks the contest with relish. This is Cox's biggest issue. He looks soft and laconic

- Blicavs has a footballer's body

- While Cox's running is very very good, Blicavs' was insane and on another level. There literally wasn't another player in the league who could go with him. I remember watching him in an early game in his career and he spent an entire half just sprinting from end to end to be an extra in attack and defence. Cox's running is good for his size, but I don't think he's anywhere near that level.

Blicavs hasn’t always had a footballers body, go and watch his first couple of seasons highlights he was all awkward and gangly like cox and then he matured into his body. The same will happen to cox, as it does with a lot of talls who play awkward skinny at the start

 

[Ambrosia]

Does he have a good enough combination of marking ability and quality disposal to justify playing him as our main intercept defender?

 

[bombadeer]

Does he have a good enough combination of marking ability and quality disposal to justify playing him as our main intercept defender?

Over Ridley? Can’t see it happening.

Rids is tracking to be one of the top few intercept defenders in the league over the next couple of years.

He’ll need to find another way into the best 22.

 

[ant555]

Does he have a good enough combination of marking ability and quality disposal to justify playing him as our main intercept defender?

No as he is not as good as Ridley but he does have enough to play a secondary role.

Anyway it may be his time to shine.

 

[ghostdog]

No as he is not as good as Ridley but he does have enough to play a secondary role.

Anyway it may be his time to shine.

We haven't seen the best of Nik Cox the defender. I reckon he could be better than Ridley. I really hope it is his time to shine.

 

[jdstorm]

We haven't seen the best of Nik Cox the defender. I reckon he could be better than Ridley. I really hope it is his time to shine.

Ridley at his best is arguably the best interceptor in the AFL not sure that should be the bar

 

[Fayab99]

Sadly, reminds me of Jarrad Grant

Jarrad Grant

Age

35

Ht

193cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.2

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

6.2

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.3

4star

G

1.0

4star

No current season stats available

D

13.6

4star

K

6.0

3star

HB

7.6

5star

M

5.4

5star

T

3.0

5star

G

0.6

3star

anyone remember him?

 

[andleanback]

Ridley at his best is arguably the best interceptor in the AFL not sure that should be the bar

Ridley is a gun but he’s not close to Tom Stewart and Sicily

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Ridley is a gun but he’s not close to Tom Stewart and Sicily

Yeah, he seems a much better bloke than Sicily who is an absolute bellend.

 

[fairbump_playon]

Yeah, he seems a much better bloke than Sicily who is an absolute bellend.

He’s a total, utter bellend. Also a better footballer than Ridley but what a nob.

 

[Call Me Cake]

Fitting that he's named after a mythical creature that no one ever sees.

 

[MiguelM]

For the first time I saw some good moments for him in the backline. We just need to stop playing him on the wing. Having Dursma might help.

Anyway, I think it is worth giving him a go while Ridley is out.

Lav seems to just dump kick to the wing where we don't have much marking capability. Not against trying Lav forward though.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

For the first time I saw some good moments for him in the backline. We just need to stop playing him on the wing. Having Dursma might help.

Anyway, I think it is worth giving him a go while Ridley is out.

Lav seems to just dump kick to the wing where we don't have much marking capability. Not against trying Lav forward though.

I like that when Cox is in the play, he tackles well and also has quick hands and a mostly reliable kick. Hopefully in the back line (not wing) he can be in the play more.

 

[DERO]

Sadly, reminds me of Jarrad Grant

anyone remember him?

Yes and yes

 

[P Money]

Fitting that he's named after a mythical creature that no one ever sees.

Speak for yourself!

 

[Squeaky]

Sadly, reminds me of Jarrad Grant

anyone remember him?

Microphone head?

 

[Milanista28]

Microphone head?

Spindles

 

[Milanista28]

He just needs to keep playing at any level and regain confidence in his body, he'll start to find his dare again, missed plenty through injuries and covid, longer burn but I still have high hopes for him.