AFL Player #13: Nik Cox

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2026
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 6, Rick Ross

 

[FlyingV]

The more I see of him, the more concerned I get.

I think his only hope of making it is if he can pinch hit in the ruck and try and use his running ability to be that extra mid around the ground. He’s not competitive/strong enough in the air or at ground level to play defense. And does not have the forward craft of Jones/Caddy to be full time forward. He’ll lose a lot of ruck contests which is okay as second ruck, so long as we stretches them thin around the ground.

His development has been a mess, but I actually think it’s becuase he hasn’t stamped his authority on any position he’s played as much as us moving him around.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Alright Essington, let’s see if we can do this...

He’s not a wingman

He’s not going to be a ****ing wingman

Him and we are not changing the entire game of football overnight.

Get that out of your heads now you hunch of non-developing, clueless ****s

Can we PLEEEEEEEASE not spend three years on some stupid ****ing experiment and turn him into a new Kepler Bradley

So he’s mobile and can run. Nice. Sounds like a good attribute for a KPP.

Work out - QUICKLY - whether he’s a forward, ruck or defender, put him there and leave. him. the. ****. there.

No Ryder please. No 6 years playing him in ****ing defence and deep forward when it’s clear as ****ing daylight he’s a ruckman.

We’ve ruined hundreds of youngsters, let’s not try it again.

December 2020.

We’re not there yet.

As predictable as the sun coming up.

 

[Beerfish]

What's the most bruise free position on the ground?

Looks like that's what he is.

 

[Snake Charmer]

What's the most bruise free position on the ground?

Looks like that's what he is.

Forward pocket. Don’t need to chase playing there for Essendon either

 

[Bjchan13]

I think he just has to start next year in the VFL and try and build from there. He's never been best 22 this year in my opinion but you can see the idea behind pumping games into him while his body was holding up. He's somehow got to 50 games but so much work still needs to be put into trying to develop him into an AFL standard player. There's nothing there for any other team to be interested in yet (to trade) so its either delist to free up a list spot or hold on cheap money and continue to try and develop. Definite hold for me. He's shown good enough signs forward and in the ruck. I think he just needs a solid VFL apprenticeship like Hayes and Bryan have been given.

 

[TheBrightSide]

Yikes.

 

[cobra land]

My wife commented on how lethargic he looks and that he doesn't appear to want to be out there.

Also his body language is putrid and I partially blame the selectors who keep picking him when he is clearly not in the right frame of mind.

 

[crackers65]

I keep looking at the video and still can’t see any contact! Maybe Andrews arse caught him on the side of the head, but I think he just quit. If he did piss him off.

 

[ant555]

I keep looking at the video and still can’t see any contact! Maybe Andrews arse caught him on the side of the head, but I think he just quit. If he did piss him off.

It was right in front of where I was sitting on level 2 and he clearly had no idea where he was for a bit. Redman tried to lift him up and he just flopped back down and he had the jelly legs going. Did not look like much at all but he was clearly concussed.

 

[Zach Package]

I keep looking at the video and still can’t see any contact! Maybe Andrews arse caught him on the side of the head, but I think he just quit. If he did piss him off.

Laverde round house punched him straight in the forehead.

Jackson did nothing on him last week and Andrew only popped off after he went off the ground. Perhaps going back has stripped away some of the complexity and just allowed him to play.

 

[crackers65]

Laverde round house punched him straight in the forehead.

Jackson did nothing on him last week and Andrew only popped off after he went off the ground. Perhaps going back has stripped away some of the complexity and just allowed him to play.

Yea, I think you’re right. Maybe I was a bit harsh, but I doubt very much that he is going to make it. Wouldn’t matter where we play him he uses a lot of short steps and is allergic to contact.

 

[Mercurial89]

Talls take time, usually they sit in one area of the ground and it still takes years.

We run this kid through every position. As soon as Reid went down he should have been put in his position and kept there until Reid returns.
He would make a good swing man later in his career, what we are doing is just negligent.

 

[Zach Package]

Yea, I think you’re right. Maybe I was a bit harsh, but I doubt very much that he is going to make it. Wouldn’t matter where we play him he uses a lot of short steps and is allergic to contact.

Think about where he would be now if we started him at centre half back and he had been learning the trade for 2 years.

He’ll be fine, looks much more comfortable in that 3rd tall role but you’re probably looking at him being 24 before your really know what you’ve got. Annoying that he got concussed because he was starting to find some nice continuity

 

[Bunk Moreland]

The footage would appear to show that the only thing that made contact with his head was his own right hand.

 

[mike14]

Head injuries are never funny; but giving yourself a concussion with your own fist is about as close as you can get...

 

[Zach Package]

The footage would appear to show that the only thing that made contact with his head was his own right hand.

Yeah the reverse angle shows it, it wasn’t Jayden’s fist, it was his own spoiling fist which seems to clank straight off his hip pointer back into him.

Another classic Essendon calamity and another Laverde random contact injury, he’s even able to do it to others!

 

[MiguelM]

Taking the coach's "go knock yourself out kid" too literally!

 

[div12ressie]

He’s a poor man’s kepler bradley

 

[craffles]

I think in this era of kids coming in and dominating straight away such as Daicos, Ashcroft, Reid, Sheezel etc we forget that talls always take time. Especially talls drafted during COVID and talks that get terrible development like Essendon does with talls.

Cox is either a defender or a ruck. Blicavs is the blueprint, just stick to one plan and make it happen Essendon.

 

[southern_crusher]

I think in this era of kids coming in and dominating straight away such as Daicos, Ashcroft, Reid, Sheezel etc we forget that talls always take time. Especially talls drafted during COVID and talks that get terrible development like Essendon does with talls.

Cox is either a defender or a ruck. Blicavs is the blueprint, just stick to one plan and make it happen Essendon.

He is scared of contact and footy is a contact sport, He's a bust.

 

[Old Campaigner]

I think in this era of kids coming in and dominating straight away such as Daicos, Ashcroft, Reid, Sheezel etc we forget that talls always take time. Especially talls drafted during COVID and talks that get terrible development like Essendon does with talls.

Cox is either a defender or a ruck. Blicavs is the blueprint, just stick to one plan and make it happen Essendon.

I think also with all the media attention on the draftees who can come in and dominate from day one everyone forgets that clubs usually have a bunch on the slow burn in the vfl.

 

[Foxx]

I think in this era of kids coming in and dominating straight away such as Daicos, Ashcroft, Reid, Sheezel etc we forget that talls always take time. Especially talls drafted during COVID and talks that get terrible development like Essendon does with talls.

Cox is either a defender or a ruck. Blicavs is the blueprint, just stick to one plan and make it happen Essendon.

I think his best position is mobile tall forward.
It's the only position he's played well, the few times he's been moved up there.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

I think in this era of kids coming in and dominating straight away such as Daicos, Ashcroft, Reid, Sheezel etc we forget that talls always take time. Especially talls drafted during COVID and talks that get terrible development like Essendon does with talls.

Cox is either a defender or a ruck. Blicavs is the blueprint, just stick to one plan and make it happen Essendon.

Not sure people expext that.............Dont think asking for Cox not be a complete cat is asking alot...

 

[Red Black and Blue]

I think in this era of kids coming in and dominating straight away such as Daicos, Ashcroft, Reid, Sheezel etc we forget that talls always take time. Especially talls drafted during COVID and talks that get terrible development like Essendon does with talls.

Cox is either a defender or a ruck. Blicavs is the blueprint, just stick to one plan and make it happen Essendon.

No hate to Cox/Reid, it's not their fault, but if you have a tall that requires that much time and is that far away from being physically developed, don't draft them in the first round. There are too many variables before you even find out if they can develop the required build, let alone play.

The reality is the vast majority of KPP that have made it, have been good or at least physically capable of not being bullied early in their careers.

 

[faible]

The 2020 draft was a real crapshoot

2020 AFL National Draft

AFL draft history and statistics. Includes national, pre-season and rookie draft picks as well as past pre-draft and midyear selections.

www.footywire.com

People keep saying 'play the kids!!' and we've done exactly that with Perkins and Cox and they're not clearly better for it.