MASON COX: ‘He works his arse off’: Why I’m all in on Gawn

well it grates me that random people reply to a comment to complain about nothing...but each to their own eh?

"Surely someone whose religion is to worship the god-unmighty Suns will acknowledge that the contribution of two Christians (Petracca and Salem) has redeemed the Demons from 57 years of purgatory." (Revelations 25:09-21)

Mason I enjoyed reading your article. As an American, I can appreciate how crazy AFL looks when you first see it. I lived in Oz from 2004-2008 and I absolutely fell in love with the game. I think it is the greatest sport in the world. I have really enjoyed watching you play and try to catch all the games you play in. Even though, as a dyed in wool Swans fans, it is very difficult to support the Pies. I couldn't be happier about the success you have had in the game, and I hope you have continued success in the future.

Why don't u say your 1.95m or 195cm roughly? It grates me that people in Oz still use Imperial system still for height and screen sizez.

Mate, I let my 9 year old daughter swear, just as long as she doesn't do it in the hearing of people who might make trouble for her. It is a dying vestige of the days when the government and church thought they could control every aspect of our lives.

The word's context within the article is implied rather than quoted and used positively, once as a kind of exclamation and once as a kind of superlative. It wasn't used in the article with the intention of offending and on that basis I didn't find it offensive, although the use of the word is generally considered profane and also primarily conveys disdain. If, in the spur of the moment, Mason used a few choice words to give a piece of his mind to a player who hit him in the larynx, I would probably have done the same thing and felt better for having done so. However, I'd say that feeling a need to use them is not a good thing and they should be used sparingly and without premeditation in conversation or in the press. Fourteen year old school girls can often these days be heard liberally and meaninglessly splattering these words around in public. It's not so macho anymore, if it ever was.

Thanks for the thrills in the big games Mason. My 8 year old daughter still demands the no. 46 on her back!

There is a lot to like and respect about Mason Cox. I don't want to see him leave Collingwood. Not for selfish reasons but, because I think it would be great for Collingwood to have him be a one club player. Why give any asset to another team. It's my personal belief that he was wasted in the Buckley years. A determined practiced delivery to him would have achieved far more. When you consider what he has already achieved that's something to consider. Some people may take advantage with a quick comment, but he has proved he can cut it in the AFL. How many of us couldn't even make the grade. Keep big Mace, Macca, please.

Yeah Jason was just saying the same thing to my mum while brushing my tooth in the Centrelink queue after she got out early on good behaviour.

The Roar doesn't allow swears. You can't swear in a comment or it just won't be published. Eds will censor, but interesting to see what they allowed. I agree with you, but the advertisers get the final say as well as the minority who claim to be offended.

I'd like to see the rule reviewed and a suggestion such as yours, with common sense at its core, implemented so that the stand rule is only used for field kicks and not shots at goal. Slowing down the play by the opponent is currently allowed to go because of interpretation, which must be cleaned up. I don't mind a common sense reset of play with no free when the players are being stupid, but a 50m penalty should be reserved for serious infringements. I agree that a 25m penalty is often warranted. Stand should stay, but not on shots for goal. You make an interesting point about the old commission. It's still called that, but the AFL have control of it. I am counting down the days until the Suns can break away from AFL ownership because they have a huge conflict that almost always damages the Suns to keep the other 17 clubs happy.

I knew you'd strike back on free agency (and COLA). What I am saying is the AFL can mess around with everything else it likes but it shouldn't change rules to counter a particular team's strengths. Changing rules to discourage certain tactics (like KB bouncing before being tackled or deliberate out of bounds) is fair enough though. There was a time that the AFL had to apply to an independent commission to change rules, but they disbanded that so they could do what they like. I have always found that very distasteful. I'd be interested to know what you think of my suggestion of what they could have done, without introducing stand.

How does free agency make things fair when the best team in the comp can poach the best player in the worst team without parting with a draft pick? And what teams do you think are getting COLA? The stand rule meets a need in the game, but it affected sides with their forward defensive pressure. Not just Richmond, but I believe it contributed to their slide. Creating turnovers and forcing opponents into their own half was a staple of the Richmond game that seemed to be lacking. I, for one, think the stand rule prevented games from devolving into a messy kick to kick along the grandstand sideline where a dominant team like GWS could squash a young team like the Suns, whereas, with the stand rule we suddenly see the game open up for beautiful running teams to put on a show. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

You shouldn't be changing rules to counter a successful team, if that is what they are doing. For that you have drafts, equilisation, bail-outs, free agency, COLA, etc. Having said that, I think Richmond's problems were far greater than the stand rule. The stand rule by the way is shocking and effectively makes it 18 v 17, which is unfair. I don't know that the man on the mark used to influence play too much, in fact I would say that was impossible. What they should have cracked down on is players holding up play on the bottom of the pack or having to be told 3 times to come back on to the mark. Make it a 25 m penalty, which quickly turns to 50 m if you don't get the message. That would have been far more effective in opening things up and would have been completely fair.

Very good article. Maybe there's a space for you in the journalistic world after the close of your football career, although you are apparently qualified as a mechanical engineer. However forget about the asterisks. Let's use them in the heat of the moment, if we must, but we can generally do without them in everyday conversation or in written articles and convey our meaning using other words. Let's maintain a decent standard and leave the asterisks on the field or in the change rooms.

USA! USA! USA!

Joffa hasn't been at the club for years. But he does paint a picture of what it's like to be a Collingwood supporter

The AFL gets a lot of its innovations from the NFL. The draft, free agency, score reviews etc have all been lifted largely unchanged, with minor modifications. Rule changes have made the game faster and fairer. I watched part of the 2002 Grand Final recently and the player just took so long to kick the ball from a mark that I couldn't believe the umpires didn't call play on, but they didn't do it back then. The stand rule needs some modification, but the way thing were you'd have the man on the mark influencing play too much. I played soccer as a teenager, but I have never played under what I call the "new offside rule", which I think was implemented 25 years ago. It gives such an advantage to attacking players and has forced defences into a completely different approach. I'd have dined out on the extra 5 metres from beating the offside trap. Soccer has changed so much just from that one, intrinsic rule change. What you have observed in the AFL is just a snapshot, but you came at the end of the Hawks dynasty and have played through the Tigers 3 flags. The AFL changes the laws of the game to take away the advantage for other teams. Hawthorn missed finals after the AFL took away 3rd man up in the ruck, although ruckmen like Jarrod Witts suddenly flourished. Richmond have missed finals after 4 dominant years because of the stand rule. The AFL introduced the ruck circle in 2005 and it ended the Brisbane Lions dynasty.

Sounds like Mason got the coach he needed at Collingwood.

haha that was a great game by big Mason. I didn't enjoy it on the night but I've mellowed with the success of 2019-20. I'd be prepared to read a piece by him on his memories of that game. He's a pretty good finals player - maybe Gary Rohan could quietly sound him out about how he does it.