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

[Beerfish]

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

 

[fairbump_playon]

It’s 50/50 for mine at the moment.

On his side is that he will get plenty of time, probably 3 more years. He will be strong by then. He has some attributes that are exceptional and some serious weak spots. Maybe he will come good once he is the right size.

On the negative side I don’t reckon he has the killer gene.

The best case is a dominant intercept mark who is agile and can link up when the ball is on the ground, but who sometimes looks a bit sloppy or lax.

 

[ant555]

Agree it is 50/50. The issue is not that he can not play. The issue is he may not have the body to play with confidence for another 2 or 3 years. The lessen here may well be drafting 200cm blokes at 80kg has plenty of danger attached.

 

[dank420_]

The issue is he may bot have the body to play with confidence for another 2 or 3 years.

Massive issue if you want them to be ready asap but if it does take 2-3 years I don't think it would end up being dissimilar to a lot over 200+cm players.

I also think the shitty losses put the microscope on fringe players more than our senior players. He was building pretty nicely, albeit slowly, the first 3 rounds. A bad game in a bad loss should not become the sum of his work to date.

 

[VelvetSledge]

I feel like you’re not telling us everything we need to know… surely you stalked him?
What was my boy shopping for?
Was he living an AFL lifestyle - no full fat cappuccino… no cheese toastie…
Was he only trying on club sponsor gear or going rogue?View attachment 1947638

No coffee, no toastie. Wearing a big puffy jacket that looked 2 sizes too big and cargo shorts.

He's gone full rogue.

Going off his performance against Port he probably should have been training honestly

 

[jannissary]

i'm certainly no fan of how he's played and how different every performance of his is; but i feel like him (along with reid, perkins etc) all suffered from being drafted in 2020 and not having a full u18 season off the back of their drafting, it'd take longer for them to develop.

of that draft, (an unprofessional opinion mind you) i'd say that probably Ugle-Hagan, Logan Mcdonald and Max Holmes have become quality players, and that's maybe been in the past 2 seasons.

 

[Rick Ross]

Going off his performance against Port he probably should have been training honestly

Funny because it’s true

Wearing a big puffy jacket that looked 2 sizes too big and cargo shorts.

Puffer with shorts?

That’s the Essendon Edge-y look.

 

[yodellinhank]

Funny because it’s true


Puffer with shorts?

That’s the Essendon Edge-y look.

Sounds like uncertainty about whether he was hot or cold.

 

[Rick Ross]

i'm certainly no fan of how he's played and how different every performance of his is; but i feel like him (along with reid, perkins etc) all suffered from being drafted in 2020 and not having a full u18 season off the back of their drafting, it'd take longer for them to develop.

of that draft, (an unprofessional opinion mind you) i'd say that probably Ugle-Hagan, Logan Mcdonald and Max Holmes have become quality players, and that's maybe been in the past 2 seasons.

Yup.

But not a popular opinion if you read the strong support for checks thread title, “i've got a high tolerance for essendon being s**t, but this game was appalling”.

I think this and few other posts sum Cox up:

• 2020 COVID impacted draft was a bit of a crap shoot with few great outcomes - missed a lot of development
• At 200cm+ he’ll take longer
• didn’t help his physique suggests he comes from a bit of a way back on some others
• had injuries .. hasn’t helped
• show some signs… some good / some bad
• going to be another few years before we know what he’ll be
• until then, he needs to be developed , stay injury free and play … AFL or VFL

In optimistic he’ll make it.

Cause he’s my boy, sometimes I need to roll the tape from his 2021 year forward.
(See ant555 post on page 107 of this thread).

Watching that makes me think the kids could still be a star.

 

[ant555]

Yup.

But not a popular opinion if you read the strong support for checks thread title, “i've got a high tolerance for essendon being s**t, but this game was appalling”.

I think this and few other posts sum Cox up:

• 2020 COVID impacted draft was a bit of a crap shoot with few great outcomes - missed a lot of development
• At 200cm+ he’ll take longer
• didn’t help his physique suggests he comes from a bit of a way back on some others
• had injuries .. hasn’t helped
• show some signs… some good / some bad
• going to be another few years before we know what he’ll be
• until then, he needs to be developed , stay injury free and play … AFL or VFL

In optimistic he’ll make it.

Cause he’s my boy, sometimes I need to roll the tape from his 2021 year forward.
(See ant555 post on page 107 of this thread).

Watching that makes me think the kids could still be a star.

Well that is the top end of what he can do. Trouble is they now have to build him up as he had / has lost confidence in his body and also his form and I think being flogged up and down the wing trying to learn that at AFL level has taken a toll on that front.

 

[jannissary]

Yup.

But not a popular opinion if you read the strong support for checks thread title, “i've got a high tolerance for essendon being s**t, but this game was appalling”.

I think this and few other posts sum Cox up:

• 2020 COVID impacted draft was a bit of a crap shoot with few great outcomes - missed a lot of development
• At 200cm+ he’ll take longer
• didn’t help his physique suggests he comes from a bit of a way back on some others
• had injuries .. hasn’t helped
• show some signs… some good / some bad
• going to be another few years before we know what he’ll be
• until then, he needs to be developed , stay injury free and play … AFL or VFL

In optimistic he’ll make it.

Cause he’s my boy, sometimes I need to roll the tape from his 2021 year forward.
(See ant555 post on page 107 of this thread).

Watching that makes me think the kids could still be a star.

it's hard to really judge because again, that whole draft year has developed slowly, i can't think of many other players except for archie, JUH, mcdonald & holmes who're part of a core side as it stands

 

[eth-dog]

it's hard to really judge because again, that whole draft year has developed slowly, i can't think of many other players except for archie, JUH, mcdonald & holmes who're part of a core side as it stands

Um, Gulden?

 

[jannissary]

Um, Gulden?

i thought he was 2021

 

[Rick Ross]

i thought he was 2021

2020 draft.
But… joined the Sydney Swans academy at 11 years of age. Academy trained during 2020 Covid year with swans.
Vic boys like Archie, Cox, Reid all played & trained minimally during that year.

Before anyone asks… bid on by Geelong, matched by swans at 33rd pick.

 

[Old Campaigner]

From memory he was rated as an elite kick but considered to small to be a first round prospect

 

[yodellinhank]

From memory he was rated as an elite kick but considered to small to be a first round prospect

If only he wasn't rated an elite kick, we may have picked him up

 

[Old Campaigner]

If only he wasn't rated an elite kick, we may have picked him up

Yep, unfortunately he was only above average in the ‘good private school kid’ and ‘good family’ metrics

 

[BrunoV]

My recollection is that he was missing kicks on his left. He's not a left footer but you wouldn't know. That's probably the sign of his skill level by foot.

He can kick the ball. No doubt whatsoever.

I think he is one guy you don't apply the rules to. His body doesn't allow it and won't for another couple of years. I'd play him in Martin's role (it's not as though he's kicking the ball well anyway).

We're going to have to contrive a way of making this work because he cant end 5 or 6 years in the system without any confidence. Too much was spent.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

There’s never been a 200+ cm flanker/winger in league history and don’t think he’ll be a particularly successful one. Has to develop as a KP and needs to bulk up. Barely put on anything in the time he’s been here..unbelievable..get him his own dietitian.

 

[TheGrizz]

Massive issue if you want them to be ready asap but if it does take 2-3 years I don't think it would end up being dissimilar to a lot over 200+cm players.

I also think the shitty losses put the microscope on fringe players more than our senior players. He was building pretty nicely, albeit slowly, the first 3 rounds. A bad game in a bad loss should not become the sum of his work to date.

I honestly dont know how any real judgement can be made on any of our defenders on Friday night with the way the ball was coming inside D50.
Not a lot you can do when the ball is coming out of the front of stoppage at a rate knots into an open 50 because the mids decided to take a night off defensively.

It got out of hand pretty quick and the whole team dropped their heads.

The things about Cox's development is that it has been so far from ideal
Started so far off it physically, and had a couple of lost developmental years due to Covid and stress injuries. Not to mention that we seemed to flip him from wing, to defence and then around again continuously.

We need to just persist for the next 18 months in defence regardless and see how he goes. If he doesnt come on, Hayes is waiting in the wings.

 

[faible]

For reference Cox is now the same age Blicavs was when he first debuted.

Geelong just kept playing Blicavs despite his first two seasons being pretty average, and as his body filled out (and he got more football experience) he grew in to a very good player for them.

Big guys take time.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

From memory he was rated as an elite kick but considered to small to be a first round prospect

Shifter Sheehan had him as near the best player in it IIRC. Best bit of individual ratings from an expert I've seen in a long time.

 

[Mikevk123]

Back him in. Has shown improvement in spades. Has the ability.

 

[jannissary]

i could certainly see him being a dustin fletcher

Dustin Fletcher

Age

49

Ht

198cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.0

4star

K

12.3

5star

HB

3.7

3star

M

4.7

4star

T

1.2

3star

MG

301.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

14.2

4star

K

11.4

4star

HB

2.8

3star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.4

4star

like player (sans the playing 400 games) if he maintains the same body profile

 

[Vindicater]

i could certainly see him being a dustin fletcher like player (sans the playing 400 games) if he maintains the same body profile

Nowhere near the pace or agility of Fletcher.

 

[The Devils Advocate]

Single handedly his worst attribute is his handpass, the amount of times I have seen him miss a basic handpass is bewildering.
But at his best, he's shown flashes of brilliance. Hitting players lace out on either foot, but it's inconsistent.