Mason Cox breaks silence on Collingwood exit after joining Fremantle

Polarising AFL big Mason Cox has broken his silence on his shock Collingwood exit, firing a shot at his former club.

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November 29, 2025 - 6:21PM

AFL

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New Fremantle recruit Mason Cox has taken a subtle swipe at his former club after he was sensationally axed by Collingwood in October.

The American was of the belief he would be getting a new deal, only for the Pies to pull the rug from under him and leave him without a club.

Cox has played 139 games since his AFL debut in 2016, and felt he had plenty more to give.

The shock decision left Cox scrambling to find a new club, and Fremantle came knocking with a two-year deal during the pre-season supplementary selection period.

Speaking for the first time about his exit, the 34-year-old said while the Magpies will always hold a special place in his heart, he still has no clue why they delisted him.

“I think there’s still probably a lot of detail I’d love to know around the whole subject,” Cox said on Friday after Dockers training.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 16: Mason Cox of the Magpies reacts during a Collingwood Magpies AFL training session at Olympic Park Oval on September 16, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

“I think it was a shock for a lot of people. Myself, my manager was pretty, pretty shocked.

“But I had an incredible time there – 11 years at any kind of football club is a long time, and I was very fortunate to be with some amazing players and staff throughout my time.

“But yeah, it ended quite abruptly, which I probably wasn’t prepared for.

“It was a tough ending. But like anything, that’s life. You’ve got to continue to change and try to get better.

“I’m not going to look on the past and focus on that. I’m focused on the future of this group and to be able to do something special.”

When asked if he was keen to play his former team, Cox smiled and said, “I’ll enjoy it.”

He stopped himself from unloading his true thoughts, however, stating: “That’s all I’ll say”.

Cox won’t have to wait long for his chance to make his former club regret letting him go, with Collingwood and Fremantle set to clash on Friday night in round five as one of Gather Round’s feature matches.