MELBOURNE – Few AFL careers have gripped fans like Mason Cox’s. The 211 cm American who swapped Oklahoma basketball courts for Collingwood stardom now faces a new crossroad.
Delisted by Collingwood weeks after a fierce finals run, the 34-year-old ruck-forward is weighing up a future beyond the AFL, with the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) looming as a genuine option.
Speaking from his Melbourne home, Mason Cox set out a clear plan for life after the elite level. He said he had poured everything into the game and could see himself pulling the boots on in the NTFL.
The Territory, in his words, offers raw energy, big turnouts, and a love-of-the-game spirit that appeals after 11 seasons in the pressure cooker. The shift would trade the MCG spotlight for red dirt and open skies, a contrast he finds refreshing.
It is a stark turn for a player who once symbolized the AFL’s global appeal. Recruited as an international rookie in 2014 after combines in Los Angeles and Melbourne, he arrived as a curiosity, a goggles-wearing giant with no footy background.
His Anzac Day debut in 2016, opening the scoring before 85,000 fans, felt like a cultural jolt. An American, in protective eyewear after a serious eye injury, standing tall in the ruck and making it look possible.
The Hard Goodbye at Collingwood
Fairy tales rarely last forever. On 18 October, days after a preliminary final loss to Sydney, Collingwood confirmed Mason Cox would not receive a 2026 deal. After 139 games, 127 goals, and a cherished 2023 premiership, the club chose to refresh a list already shedding experience at pace.
List manager Justin Leppitsch praised Cox’s rise from overseas recruit to premiership figure, then underlined the need to regenerate. Cox responded with grace in a candid Instagram video that surged past a million views. He thanked Craig McRae, the inner circle, and supporters, and said he would always carry the black and white.
The exit carried some tension. SEN’s Damian Barrett reported an unusual final meeting, with Cox encouraged to look elsewhere as early as September. With ruck depth scarce across the league, and talk of tweaks that suit athletic jumpers, Collingwood’s confidence in developing tall Oskar Steene tipped the balance.
Mason Cox played 10 games in 2025, including both finals, averaging about 15 hit-outs and a goal. He remained reliable, but in a youth-first reset, he was viewed as depth. Reactions were swift. Tributes flooded social feeds, with “Mason Cox: The American Pie we’ll never forget” trending on X, while some fans vented at the timing.
The club’s broader challenges, from the squeeze on the cap to the afterglow and hangover of the 2023 flag, sharpened the debate. Now an Australian citizen after a stirring 2022 MCG ceremony, Cox departs a club great, his No. 50 etched into supporters’ memories.
One More AFL Shot: Open Market Moves
Retirement is off the table for now. As an unrestricted free agent, Mason Cox is making himself available to any club that sees value in a seasoned tall who can play ruck and forward. He believes he can still help a contender, pointing to finals experience, ruck craft, and forward pressure.
Early interest has centred on the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne, both searching for ruck cover amid injuries. Essendon has held informal conversations, according to AFL Trade Radio chatter. Reports suggest the West Coast has cooled, with speed and mobility a priority under likely rules.
Opinions vary. Kane Cornes highlighted Cox’s towering preliminary final against Richmond in 2018 and argued he can still thrive in the right system. Yahoo Sports’ Max Laughton countered that, at 34 and with mobility queries, he profiles as depth. On r/AFL, fans tossed up left-field scenarios, including a move to GWS or a stint at Port Adelaide, with a wink to his earlier Top End links.
His AFL résumé still pops. The Neale Daniher Trophy in 2018 for Queen’s Birthday dominance, the flag run with an American twist, and a habit of crunch-time moments. Yet the trade window grows short, and draft talk grows louder. He says if the right fit appears, he will jump. The AFL remains the first choice, though any footy beats none.
Mason Cox Territory Bound: Why the NTFL Fits
The NTFL, which runs from October to March, is calling. Darwin’s heat, partisan crowds at TIO Stadium, and a mix of ex-AFL players, Indigenous stars, and local cult figures create a fierce stage.
Mason Cox trained in the Top End before his Magpies breakthrough and has never hidden his admiration for the competition. He speaks about electric atmospheres, physical contests, and the community feel that can be lost at the top level. He can picture clunking a pack mark in front of 5,000 locals and loving it.
There is strategy in the timing. The NTFL sits in a window that keeps players visible to WAFL, SANFL, and VFL watchers. It also aligns with Cox’s off-field goals.
He has media ambitions, with panel work and cross-Pacific projects in mind, while also looking at coaching and community clinics in the United States. If the AFL door closes, a Top End summer could be both showcase and celebration.
As the AFL chapter fades, Cox’s story reaches beyond numbers. A basketballer became a ruckman, a newcomer became a premiership figure, and a visiting athlete became a local. Whether he finds one more roar at the MCG or a new high in the Territory, the next step promises plenty.
