Mason Cox’s Debut Performance
Mason Cox’s debut for Fremantle was described as “serviceable,” but the former Collingwood ruckman might have to face the consequences of his missed opportunities during Sunday’s 56-point victory over West Coast. Cox, who was given a spot in the western derby after Sean Darcy suffered from concussion a week prior, didn’t have the most impactful performance.
Luke Jackson emerged as the key player in the ruck, delivering an impressive 29 hit-outs, 16 disposals, and a goal. Meanwhile, Cox found himself in a secondary role. Despite this, the American-born player managed to record 13 hit-outs, three clearances, four disposals, two marks, and scored 0.1 from 59 per cent game time.
These statistics may not be extraordinary, but Cox came close to securing several crucial contested marks in attack. If even a few of these had been successful, he would have felt satisfied with his contribution.
Sean Darcy is expected to return for the upcoming clash against Carlton on Saturday night in Perth. However, if he needs an extra week to recover, Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has the option of relying solely on Luke Jackson as the ruckman.
“I thought he competed well,” Longmuir said regarding Cox’s performance after the match, which saw Fremantle win 14.13 (97) to 5.11 (41), improving their record to 5-1.
“He’d be the first to admit that he probably left four to six or eight marks out there. He got his hands to a lot, but just didn’t quite clunk them. But yeah, I thought it was a serviceable performance.”
The Western Derby Banter
In an amusing twist during the western derby, West Coast used their banner to make a playful jab at Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir. The banner referenced a pre-season comment by Longmuir where he mentioned, “there’s no fun in my life.” In response, West Coast wrote: “Dockers Are Purple, Eagles Are Gold And Blue, We Have Fun In Our Lives, How About You?”
After helping Fremantle secure their ninth win in the past 10 western derbies, Longmuir was asked about the banter on the banner. His response was straightforward.
“Not really, but I don’t get too caught up in that,” he said. Then, after a brief pause, he added, “I’m having fun now because we won. I hope they’re having fun.”
