Collingwood’s ‘American Pie’ Mason Cox hopes to be granted permission by the AFL to wear prescription sunglasses during matches this season, as he continues to recover from a series of serious eye issues.
The 30-year old has undergone six different surgeries across both eyes since being accidentally poked during a match in 2019, which left him legally blind for a period later that year.
He has since returned to play for the Magpies, and has used the new-look eyewear throughout the club’s pre-season, with encouraging results.
Cox plans to wear the sunglasses, made by Eye Sports in Colac, during day games and night matches at particularly floodlit grounds such as the MCG.
Mason Cox at Collingwood’s pre-season training. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Cox, who is longsighted in his left eye as a result of the injuries, is said to prefer the sunglasses to contact lenses, which he has used across the last two seasons.
He first required eye surgery after an accidental poke from Gold Coast’s Peter Wright. Bizarrely, during that operation his surgeons discovered the retina in his other eye was also detached, thought to stem from an incident during the Pies’ 2018 grand final loss to West Coast.
“In the first quarter there was a moment where [Eagles defender] Tom Barrass poked me in the eye. I found out about a year and half later when I got an injury in my other eye that I’d suffered a detached retina in the Grand Final,” Cox told AthletesVoice in September last year.
Surgery on both eyes left Cox legally blind and needing to spend two weeks in a dark room on his back.
Prescription eyewear is common in the NBA, with stars such as Anthony Davis wearing goggles during matches.
However, Cox would be the first player to require a pair in the AFL, though rookie teammate Bassirou Faye, who hails from Senegal also requires sunglasses.
Cox managed only seven games in 2021, but was handed a further one-year contract by the club and hopes to regain his spot in the Pies’ best 22 under new coach Craig McRae.
“McRae is the first coach I had in Australia, and he is one of the main reasons I was successful,” Cox told AthletesVoice of his new coach.
“His genuine care and way he went about it, without that I would have never been in the position I am today and had the experiences I’ve had.”
Cox has played 76 games for the Magpies since making his debut in 2016, kicking 93 goals. His career highlight came in the 2018 preliminary final, when he was famously best afield as the Pies stunned reigning premiers Richmond.
Chris M
Guest
Mason Cox is a bit of a novelty playing Australian Rules and for most of us he's out of sight when playing in the VFL. That he plays for Collingwood makes it all too much to pass up calling him the 'American Pie.' It's always interesting watching him play in the AFL. A man of his physical stature is hard to miss. If the eyewear helps him to better play at the top level without further risk of damaging his eyes or causing an injury to an opponent, it's all fine by me. The spectacles won't give him x-ray vision like Superman and they won't turn him into a super-player. The sunglasses can't really do more than give him 20:20 vision like any mortal man should have. He has done well to perform at the standard that he has. Playing 76 games and kicking 96 goals in the AFL will have exceeded the careers of many other players who have been playing the game since their childhood years. I hope that he can add quite a few more games to his tally and play well enough to keep his place. However, he's not so good that I would be seeking to trade for him into the team I follow. At 30 years of age, there won't be too many more seasons left for him on an AFL list. However, if Mason Cox is still good enough, let's keep him going a little longer if the spectacles help.
CJ
Roar Rookie
How to make a One Eyed Port Adelaide supporter! (Sorry..... Don started it.....)
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
I wonder if he went from club to club because everyone teased him about his glasses. People can be so nasty!
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
Also played at Port Adelaide in 1977 (his only premiership). That was a very strong side
Nick Maguire
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Didn't Kareem Abdul Jabbar or someone like that wear glasses in the basketball?
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
If a collision of heads results in Cox's opponent being suspended, we'll all know he's been framed.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
I'd say Moore, Grundy, Mihocek were all well coached. I wouldn't be blaming Buckley.
Adam
Roar Guru
Yep. I worked in optics in a past life. Frame are much more likely to break in a collision in AFL than the lenses.
Opps74
Roar Rookie
Hard to say Don...I think it depends on the type of game style McRae introduces...Cox is an excellent kick for goal...Collingwood's talls have not been well coached under the Buckley era...and maybe having new younger players who can kick rather than having Adams butchering the ball he may still add value...but agree...he may also be in the vfl
HR
Roar Rookie
Given that you can get prescription goggles made of polycarbonate that are literally bulletproof, I think that is an issue that can be solved.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Lens itself to accidents.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Greater spectacle?
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Had a 100 goal season at Claremont (maybe 2).
mrl
Roar Rookie
Top level in AFL is only club level..,but he’s done well in a sport if you can’t pick the ball up, just run and fumble!
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Cause he's merican?
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Yeah there were a couple players who wore actual glasses but it fell away as laisic and the draft got better at picking those things up
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Yeah but you could make tight fitting ones that aren’t loose around the skull I reckon that’d help
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Nah, they won't shatter, I did have a pair stick in my eyeball once, used to wear them inside my goggles for motorbike racing, pulled a tear-off and they fell out and stuck in my eyeball, then I crashed! But they didn't shatter lol
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
Very good footballer Geoff