From the USA to Melbourne … and across the Nullarbor? Mason Cox could move west to extend AFL career

Having crossed the world to play AFL football, Mason Cox might now cross the Nullarbor to keep his football career alive.

Fremantle are interested in securing Cox as back-up to ruck pair Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson.

Cox, the premiership Collingwood ruckman by way of Texas, who played in the losing preliminary final with the Magpies, was delisted by the club at season’s end.

The US-born former college basketballer is available to clubs either as a delisted free agent or potentially as a rookie in the supplementary list (SSP) signing period.

The Dockers would most likely be interested in Cox joining as an SSP rookie potentially on a two-year deal.

Clubs will further review their lists and playing needs after next week’s national draft, so more clubs could yet pursue the 34-year-old.

The 211-centimetre ruckman played 139 games for the Magpies after debuting in 2016.

He played 10 games this year, including booting two goals in the preliminary final loss to the Brisbane Lions.

Merrett returns to Essendon training after failed Hawthorn trade bid

It’s an image at once familiar and, in ordinary times, uninteresting – a footy club’s best player returning to training. But these have not been ordinary times at Essendon.

After the fractiousness and rancour of Zach Merrett’s unsuccessful attempt to be traded to Hawthorn during the recent trade period, the idea of this year’s Essendon captain returning to training is noteworthy.

Merrett returned to the track for pre-season early on Friday morning with teammates at the club. The star onballer, who only weeks ago won his sixth best-and-fairest award at the time he was agitating to leave the club, stepped out at 7.30am with the first-to-fourth-year players for a full session at “the Hangar”.

While most of the senior players are now also back, the full list does not return to train until November 24.

It was reported that Merrett had been a no-show at teammate Andy McGrath’s off-season wedding, but McGrath had known late in the season, and well before the controversy of the end-of-season trade request, that Merrett was unable to attend as he was going to be in the US at another wedding.

Still, Merrett’s return presented as a slightly uncomfortable moment for him, given he aggressively pushed to leave the club he has lead as captain since 2023.

The Bombers said when Merrett asked for a trade they would almost certainly not trade him, given he had two years to run on his contract. The Hawks offered a package of three draft picks late in the trade period but could not tempt the Bombers from holding the firm line on not trading their biggest star.

Hawthorn eventually offered picks No.10 and 22 in this year’s draft, a first-round pick next year and fringe midfielder Henry Hustwaite.

Seeking to capitalise on the spite between the clubs over the failed trade deal, the AFL has drawn Essendon and Hawthorn to face one another in round one next year. Whether Merrett walks out to toss the coin is another matter. While he was captain this season, it is highly unlikely he will be, or will seek to be, again next year.

The Bombers and Hawks also clashed in round one this season and drew a crowd of 80,735. Next year’s number would be expected to comfortably surpass that, given the events of the off-season.

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