By Derek Pham
Fall 2023
On September 30, 2023, history was made as a 12-year drought was broken, and at the heart of this historic moment the second American to ever win an Australian Football League (AFL) premiership. Mason Cox and jersey number 46 are now synonymous with a Flag-winning Collingwood team, and a household name for many AFL Supporters.
Mason Cox, of Texas, was born on March 14 1991, and from an early age, it was evident that he had the potential for a remarkable athletic career. Standing tall at 6 feet 11 inches at the age of 19 made him a top prospect for the basketball court. It was clear to everyone that this kid had a making to be a professional athlete in the future. Growing up Mason explored soccer and eventually moved on to basketball. For obvious reasons…
Against popular opinion he didn’t take off as anticipated; he found that the sport had never ignited any competitive drive. “It was just one of those things I never really got into (growing up),” Cox told the Tulsa World in 2014. “I just picked up a basketball one day and said, ‘Heck, I’m almost 7 feet tall; I might as well try it.’ (Ruhl, 2023)
In 2011, Mason Cox decided to attend Oklahoma State University where he initially joined the Women’s basketball team as an assistant. Shortly after he was recognised by the men’s team and earned a spot as a walk-on. Most people had assumed that he would soon cement a place in their line-up. While he might have been taller than most players, it became clear that he was incredibly uncoordinated. The most fitting comparison was that of a “Giraffe on Roller-skates”. Poor handles and the inability to control his body around the
court defined him. In summary, his college basketball career was underwhelming, and he graduated with limited playing time, only securing 24 games across three seasons. To no one’s surprise, he failed to secure an NBA contract.
The prospect of pursuing a professional sporting career was over. Just as he was about to accept a job with Exxon Mobile, an unexpected opportunity arose. He was invited by the Australian Football League to join a scouting combine in Los Angeles, igniting his true passion for sports.
This marks the beginning of his remarkable journey to Australia which would see him placed into the 2016 AFL rookie draft. He was drafted to play for the Collingwood Football Club. A club rich with history, 15 AFL premierships, the largest fanbase and 2nd richest club in the league. Mason would soon face extremely high expectations by what’s been named the “magpie army” after the club’s mascot (The Magpies). These Collingwood fans are nationally renowned for being some of the most hated and unforgiving supporters in the league. As a player, there is no escaping their impending judgment.
If you perform well congratulations, you’re a cult hero.
If you had a bad game, good luck…
When Mason Cox, this dorky-looking, goggle-wearing Yankee first stepped on the scene it definitely turned their heads. His resemblance was something to that of a fictional character. Galloping around the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) like some sort of gazelle it now makes sense he always sucked at basketball. The guy had two left feet! As simple as that. I remember talking to my Dad, a diehard Collingwood fan telling him that if this Mason Cox figure was going to play for our club, “He better fucking play well”.
Mason was very quickly familiarised with the pressure of wearing the black and white jersey. The American-born, Oklahoma State Basketball player struggled in his first season of AFL. The foreign game requires players to kick an oval-shaped ball between two sets of sticks at either end of the field. A 360-degree sport where any of the 22 players can tackle you on the ground between whistles. Mason was the “ruckman”, a position calling for him to knock the ball down to fellow midfielders at stoppages in play.
This presented a steep learning curve. His limited exposure and brutal fanbase made for an “uncomfortable” introduction to the game.
After a tough first season in the AFL, Collingwood finished 12th on the ladder, missing the finals. Criticism was mounting, and Mason was seen as a prime target for accountability. I would say it was a pick-the-odd-one-out situation but any avid AFL supporter knew he had it coming. However, something Mason actually managed to do well in his time at OSU was take on board criticism. He adapted the bad-boy rebellious stance at the club. “If you’re going to hate me, hate me”, he says in a post-game interview after successive losses. (Cherny, 2018). A somewhat comical comment as he assumes a persona usually created by success and not an inability to play…
Throughout the next six years, Mason’s career was defined by inconsistency. He became known as a ‘one-game-wonder’ for his above-average performance in the 2018 elimination final against Richmond. But, like his time at OSU, he struggled to secure regular playing time. It was in the 2022 season, with a change in coaching staff and the guidance of Coach Craig McCrae, that Mason’s career took a positive turn. McCrae’s support and a newly designated role as a tall forward and ruckman would see his true ability established.
Funnily, Mason states on his podcast that he had one foot out the door prior to the club’s restructure and the only person that could make him stay was McCrae. He chuckles as he gives Coach McCrae an indirect “Fuck you dude”. (Cox, The Mason Cox Show , 2023)
In the following two seasons Mason earned nicknames like ‘American Pie’ and ‘Coxzilla,’ and his on-field success finally matched his confident attitude. Following the 2023 home and away season the heavily anticipated AFL Grand Final was just around the corner. A late-season injury to Daniel McStay propelled Mason Cox into the role of No.1 ruck set to face the Brisbane Lions in front of a packed MCG hosting 100,000 fans.
In the end, Collingwood emerged victorious. The 12-year drought had been broken, and Mason Cox, the Texan who had come to Australia with a dream, had been named a premiership player. He was no longer just an American trying to make it in an unfamiliar sport; he was now a cult hero, a household name. Back in Australia, the Magpie army celebrated, here in Stillwater at 3 a.m. on a Friday morning I celebrated.
Cox reflecting on his podcast. “Sitting in an empty MCG. American flag draped over my shoulder like an absolute idiot. I’m looking back at everything I’ve sacrificed to get to this point … Friends. Family. My Brother just got married; missed it. All the things you give up to have that experience just hits you at once. I came to the realisation that it’s completed, you’ve done it. A real full circle experience.” (Cox, The Mason Cox Show, 2023)
No longer known for his failures Mason Cox is defined by perseverance, adaptation, and triumph. The story of a Texan who refused to be shaped by expectations, who forged his own path to conquering a foreign sport and etching his name into the history of the AFL. In the grandest of stages, Mason Cox had become an American icon in Australian football.
References
Cherny, D. (2018, September 17). Mason Cox: ‘If you’re going to hate me, hate me’. Retrieved from The Age : https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/mason-cox-if-you-re-going-to-hate-me-hate-me-20180917-p504c7.html
Cox, M. (2023). Insatgram . Collingwood Football Club .
Cox, M. (2023, October 11). The Mason Cox Show.
Cox, M. (2023, September 30). The Mason Cox Show .
Cox, M., & Collingwood Football Club. (2023). Instagram Source Material . Collingwood Football Club .
Guelas, J. (2023, September 30). Cox savours becoming second American to win AFL decider. Retrieved from Y-Sport: https://au.sports.yahoo.com/cox-savours-becoming-second-american-163000223.html#:~:text=Cox%20has%20become%20the%20second,and%2C%20at%20times%2C%20unbearable.
Ruhl, D. (2023, August 11). The story of Mason Cox — former OSU walk-on — becoming an Australian Rules football star. Retrieved from Tulsa World : https://tulsaworld.com/sports/college/osu/the-story-of-mason-cox-former-osu-walk-on-becoming-an-australian-rules-football-star/article_3798b8cc-e850-11ed-846d-fb0ffbaa3e51.html
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