In today’s AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news
- Mason Cox has explained the extent of the internal injuries that have kept him sidelined for the Pies.
- Tarryn Thomas will return to training with North Melbourne’s VFL team.
- And in case you missed it, Taylor Adams will appear at the tribunal on Tuesday night to contest his one-match ban.
Cox had ‘two to three litres of internal bleeding’
Collingwood ruckman Mason Cox has revealed the full extent of his internal injuries, saying it was even dangerous to be by himself at one point.
Cox hasn’t played since suffering internal bleeding from an innocuous bump in round two.
What was initially thought to be a broken rib turned out to be a haematoma and ruptured spleen.
Cox has already been ruled out of next week’s Anzac Day clash with Essendon, and the club will determine a return-to-play date following another medical check-up.
“The last time I was in here, I was pretty sick,” Cox told KIIS on Tuesday.
Mason Cox suffered a lacerated spleen.Credit: Jason South.
“It’s literally a lacerated spleen. I had two to three litres of internal bleeding into the system, which is not ideal.
“Essentially the next day I woke up and went to the doctor and I was in hospital 30 minutes later.
“I had a little operation, like a crazy operation that goes into your spleen and plugs things up and for the last two to three weeks, I’ve just been doing nothing.
“I can’t get the heart rate up, can’t work out or anything like that, so I’ve just been walking around. It’s the most that I can do.”
Cox was so unaware of how serious his injury was that he even trained a few days after the round two win over Port.
“That was the dumbest thing you could do,” Cox said with a laugh.
Even medical staff were initially stumped at the true nature of the injury.
“After I had the operation, I was OK for a bit but for the first four-day period, it was kind of misdiagnosed,” he said.
“We thought it was a broken rib and then we looked at the scans further and the radiologist realised he missed something.
“That was internal bleeding, which is pretty crazy to think.
“It was an interesting week, looking back on it, it was pretty serious and the fact I live alone – if something does happen and it becomes like a ruptured spleen, it would be very serious.”
With both Cox and Darcy Cameron sidelined, Collingwood have been forced to use Billy Frampton as the lead ruckman. The Magpies sit third on the ladder with a 4-1 record.
AAP
Thomas to play VFL
Damien Ractliffe
Tarryn Thomas has been fined $5000 by North Melbourne and forced to donate a further $5000 to a road safety charity after he filmed himself driving dangerously and shared it on social media last week.
Thomas will return to training via North Melbourne’s VFL program on Tuesday night, but will not be available for VFL selection until he meets the club’s on and off-field expectations following a spate of poor behaviour.
He remains on the outer of the AFL program, with his return there dependent on improvement in his attitude and behaviour.
Tarryn Thomas will train with North’s VFL team.Credit: Getty Images
The decision to put him back into the VFL program came on advice received from specialists who determined he would benefit from being in a structured environment.
“Based on expert advice, supported by our own observations, and after building a new plan that will see him working and training with our VFL program, we’ll provide Tarryn with the structure he needs to give him every opportunity to demonstrate the required standards of behaviour,” North Melbourne chief executive Jennifer Watt said.
“Tarryn has now been away from the club for a total of eight weeks across this year, and he has engaged in a series of education and training programs during that time.
“We have made it clear to Tarryn that the future of his playing career at North Melbourne is in his hands.”
Thomas is due to face court later this year on an unrelated charge of driving with a suspended licence, as well as a separate court listing regarding the single charge of threatening to distribute an intimate image.
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