MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Mason Cox of the Magpies is seen taking a moment to himself during the 2023 AFL Grand Final match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Brisbane Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 30, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)
BREAKING NEWS: Former Collingwood Magpies big man Mason Cox has revealed three stunning factors he says led the club’s coaching staff to sideline him and ultimately back his delisting — a bombshell claim that’s sending shockwaves through the AFL world.
In a candid and emotionally charged revelation, former Collingwood ruckman Mason Cox has lifted the lid on what he describes as the “real reasons” behind his controversial delisting—claims that are already reverberating throughout the AFL community. Speaking publicly for the first time since the announcement, Cox outlined three key factors that he believes pushed the coaching staff toward phasing him out before ultimately cutting ties with him after 11 seasons.
According to Cox, the first major factor was the club’s shifting list-management strategy, a move he says he saw unfolding long before his name appeared on the official delisted players list. He revealed that Collingwood’s football department had made a strategic decision to prioritize youth development and list rejuvenation, leaving aging veterans like himself on the outer. “It became pretty clear the direction they wanted to go in,” Cox said. “You look around and you start noticing you’re being slowly replaced by younger bodies with more years ahead of them. They didn’t hide the fact the list was ageing, and someone had to make way.”
The second factor Cox pointed to was his declining game time, which he claims was the result of deliberate selection decisions rather than form alone. After playing only 10 senior games in the season, Cox described a growing sense of frustration and confusion as coaches shifted him down the depth chart. “I wasn’t being given the opportunities to prove myself,” he explained. “You can’t showcase what you bring if you’re consistently being left out. At some point, you realise you’re being managed out.” He added that he believed the reduction in minutes was part of a longer-term plan to justify moving him off the list.
The third and perhaps most eye-opening factor Cox highlighted was the club’s concern over his ongoing injury and physical risk profile, particularly his well-documented eye issues. Cox has long played with protective goggles after a severe eye injury early in his career, and he claims internal discussions about the potential for further damage played a quiet but significant role in the club’s decision. “There were definitely conversations about my eyesight, about future risk, about what could happen if I copped another hit,” he said. “I felt like they were looking at me more as a liability than an asset toward the end.”
Despite the shockwaves these comments have sent through the football world, Cox maintained that he holds no grudges toward Collingwood. He acknowledged the emotional weight of leaving the club that helped shape his unlikely AFL journey but insisted he simply wanted to be honest about the process. “At the end of the day, it’s a business,” he said. “But I think people deserve to know how these decisions come about.”
With his future still open, Cox says he’s ready to continue his career if the right opportunity arises. And after these explosive revelations, the AFL world will be watching closely to see where the American giant lands next.
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