American Mason Cox boots first goal in Anzac Day clash against Essendon in front of 85,000 fans
HE only touched a Sherrin for the first time two years ago but American Mason Cox lived out a dream of many young Aussies - in his AFL debut on Anzac Day. WATCH THE VIDEO
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WHEN Mason Cox first stepped onto the MCG, Collingwood recruiter Derek Hine told him: “This could be your office”.
On Monday night the pair hugged in the jubilant Pies rooms after Cox’s first day on the job was deemed a raging success.
The 211cm ruck-forward had joined the most exclusive club of all - the first-kick, first-goal by an American on debut on Anzac Day.
Footy’s biggest home-and-away match was only a minute old when Cox marked and lined up from 30m out in front of 85,082 screaming fans.
No pressure then.
“It’s only 80,000 people here and you’ve only played the game for two years. But then it’s kind of like, ‘Yeah cool, I’ll just try this out’. Luckily it went through and it was just unreal experience,” Cox said afterwards.
“To have the boys get around me after that is a special moment I’ll never forget.
“It’s amazing what’s happened in my life in the past three or four years. It’s just a crazy rollercoaster that I wouldn’t change for the world.”
It was yet another incredible chapter in one of footy’s most incredible tales - the former NCAA basketballer with the engineering degree who gave it all up to chase a career in a sport he’d never heard of two years ago.
Dad Phil, mum Jeanette and two brothers Nolan and Austin had made the frantic trip down under to see Cox make the debut none of them thought possible not that long ago.
“We were just excited to get to our seats, the pre-game ceremony was fantastic, the anthems and the minutes silence,” Phil Cox said.
“The game gets underway and within two minutes here’s Mason with a mark. I couldn’t believe it, in front of the goal and he scores.
“It was the ultimate thrill. We were way more nervous than he was. He seemed pretty calm, he seemed to be handling the pressure really well. It was unbelievable.
“There’s no words to describe it. In 2014, his last game in the NCAA tournament, we thought that was it. The next thing I know here he is playing Australian Rules football.”
Wow. First kick. First goal. Where were you when an American kicked he first goal on Anzac Day at the MCG! #AFLPiesDons
— Gilbert Gardiner (@gilbertgardiner) April 25, 2016
Cox was about to start a job in Houston with ExxonMobil when he was invited along to try out for a sport he’d never seen.
“I YouTube’d it and ‘AFL’s biggest hits’ came up and I was watching guys getting their heads taken off. I was a bit worried at that point,” Cox said.
“But there was a guy, Jonathan Givony, who offered for me to stay an extra day and see some friends and and I thought: ‘That’s cool I’ll try it out’. Even when I left (for Australia) I thought it was more of a vacation and things kind of took off and it was a bit wilder than i thought.
“I never would have imagined myself here.”
Now that is an exclusive club!
— Andrew Hamilton (@AndrewHammo72) April 25, 2016
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