Fremantle Dockers ruckman Mason Cox has thrived on big stages so his western derby debut is a must-watch event

Mason Cox is built for a debut on the big stage of a western derby. The bigger the pressure, the more he thrives. That’s not a comment based on a hunch. That’s based on facts. He’s the 211cm American who turned down an engineering job that was worth more than US$100,000 to move across the world and play a sport that he hadn’t heard of until 2014. Cox could have lived a comfortable life in America with the safety of a wage that most people would have been lining up for. But Cox chose an adventure, a risk and the opportunity to be on a big stage. Just turning up to the AFL trial in Los Angeles took courage. Flying to Melbourne for more testing was even more outrageous. But his next move showed what Cox is truly made of. Six clubs offered him a contract - Fremantle, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Richmond, Sydney and Collingwood. He chose Collingwood - the biggest club in Australia. Cox knew he would have been under a massive spotlight at the Magpies. He knew the pressure would be intense. There were three other Americans on AFL lists at the time - Eric Wallace (North Melbourne), Jason Holmes (St Kilda) and Patrick Mitchell (Sydney) - so they would have told him that the Magpies are a different beast. Cox still chose Collingwood. And when did he make his AFL debut? On Anzac Day - in front of 85,000 people at the MCG. That was the largest crowd of the home-and-away season. What did Cox do to make it more memorable? He kicked the first goal of game, with his first kick in the AFL. Pressure? What pressure? Then in his fourth game, he kicked four goals and received a Brownlow Medal vote. It was an outrageous start to life as an AFL player. Cox faced plenty of criticism over the coming years. He was still greener than the MCG’s grass and made plenty of mistakes. But when big moments presented, Cox seized them. He was best on ground against Melbourne at the MCG in the annual Big Freeze game during 2018 with five goals in front of 83,000 fans. Few footy fans will ever forget Cox’s ridiculous game against Richmond in the 2018 preliminary final. The Tigers were minor premiers and won the flag in 2017. But a grand final spot was up for grabs and Cox sensed the moment. He took eight contested marks. Eight! Richmond’s entire team took nine. And Cox kicked three goals in nine minutes to blow the game to smithereens. Fans broke out into a ‘USA, USA, USA” chant at the MCG on a wild night. But while Cox loved the enthusiasm of a home crowd, he also embraces being the villain. He soaked up the chance to silence the West Coast crowd in the 2020 elimination final at Optus Stadium, kicking three goals in the first quarter. That was the COVID season where barely any fans were in attendance. But more than 37,000 were allowed into Optus Stadium and that should have given the Eagles the advantage. Cox fed off the negative energy and helped to lift Collingwood to a one-point win. Cox became an even bigger celebrity during the 2020 season. US broadcaster Pat McAfee asked Cox to appear on his program to give American viewers an insight into the sport. Over 800,000 people watched that show on YouTube. Cox promoted the AFL on that stage brilliantly. He then did the same thing on the US version of 60 Minutes. Again, a big stage, and Cox looked right at home. Life changed dramatically for Cox when he suffered a career-threatening eye injury. One of the options was to return wearing goggles. When you’re a 211cm American playing for Collingwood, you have an even bigger target on your back when you’re the only person the competition to be doing something unique like wearing goggles. Cox copped comments from over the fence and even inside the arena, and had the last laugh when he became a Collingwood premiership player. Cox could have retired content after getting de-listed by the Magpies. But he moved his life to Perth to become a Docker and when you look at his career, you can almost guarantee Cox will produce something special in front of a parochial West Coast crowd under the intense spotlight of playing his first game in purple. He’ll celebrate wildly if he kicks a goal. He may shush the crowd. He’ll certainly have plenty to say during the match. Fremantle fans have already turned Cox into a cult figure and many have been calling for him to debut for weeks. Playing against Collingwood at Gather Round would have been entertaining. Playing in a derby will definitely be something worth watching. Cox will understand that all eyes will be on him throughout the game. But that’s when he’ll feel the most at home. Because Mason Cox has made a career from putting himself into high-pressure situations, with the spotlight shining at its brightest and then absolutely thriving. The derby stage is his latest big stage in a remarkable career.