Source : ABC NEWS
Mason Cox still remembers arriving at the MCG for his first AFL grand final back in 2018.
“I took an Uber to the grand final and it ended up being like a Toyota Prius. So I was stuffed in the back of that, which is real humbling to start off the day,” he said.
It may have been a humbling experience for the 211-centimetre American, but it was also not his last on the AFL’s biggest day.
He returned in 2023 as the Magpies won the flag for the first time since 2010, and he will be back there again today, in what is a remarkable turn of events for the veteran.
Cox became a cult hero after winning an AFL premiership with Collingwood in 2023. (AAP: Joel Carrett)
In October last year he was delisted by Collingwood after 139 games, and at age 34, it appeared his remarkable career, which saw him plucked out of the United States and arrive at one of the biggest clubs in the land, was over.
But a month later, a lifeline came his way.
“It wasn’t like I had a huge selection of people chasing after me once it all kind of happened and transpired with Collingwood,” Cox said.
“I think Fremantle have been trying to get me for [a while], this is probably the third time they tried to get me.”
Door opens in Dockers line-up
Cox arrived very much as backup for the established ruck pairing of Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy, before he found himself in the mix for a game.
Luke Jackson (centre) and Cox were once opponents but now make up Fremantle’s ruck duo. (AAP: Richard Wainwright)
Darcy missed the round six western derby due to concussion, opening the door for the American.
He took the opportunity with both hands, going on to play 19 of the next 21 games and becoming a constant in Justin Longmuir’s side.
“Being an older guy, I was probably more relying on a bit of experience and just kind of seeing where the chips fall,” Cox said of his expectations going into the season.
Cox kicked the go-ahead goal in last week’s win over Sydney as the Dockers grabbed a grand final berth. (AAP: Dan Himbrechts)
“At the end of the day, some things have to go your way and sometimes some things don’t go your way.
“Over 12 years I think I’ve been playing now, I’ve kind of gotten used to that a bit.”
Cox praises talent, ‘big dogs’
While Cox admitted he was not batting away offers to play on, the culture at Fremantle still impressed him.
“Day one of getting here, just seeing how hard they work and they’re a young team and they’ve got a lot of talent,” he said.
“I thought this was the best list in the comp.“
Beyond the talented playing list, which saw the Dockers finish as minor premiers with a club-record 19 wins, including a streak of 14 straight, Cox became aware of the history of the club, which struggled in the early years and is yet to taste the ultimate glory.
For Cox, it is Fremantle’s culture that made an early impression on him. (ABC News: Andrew O’Connor)
“A lot of us are understanding of just how much we’re in this situation because of the people that came before us,” he said.
“You talk about the big dogs before us that have set this club up to be where it’s at, and the fans and supporters have kind of supported them through thick and thin.
“We understand that we don’t exist and we don’t get to this position without them, and I think that’s a real kind of thought process for a lot of the guys on the team.
“I think they kind of realise just how big of a deal it is for not only us but everyone around us, and then who’s been able to kind of get us to this position.”
If Fremantle beats Brisbane, Cox will become part of an immortal Dockers team, and will join the small list of players to have won AFL premierships at two different clubs.
Remarkable from the most unlikely of AFL players.
