CLUBS watched on as American prospect Mason Cox kicked off his trial for a place on an AFL list with an hour's training session at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
Recruiters from North Melbourne, Collingwood, Richmond and Port Adelaide were present as the 211cm former basketball and soccer player went through a range of skill-related drills.
Kangaroos coach Brad Scott was also in attendance.
As part of his eight-day visit to Australia, Cox will spend a day at each of the four clubs as the bidding begins to gain his signature as an international rookie.
Having visited the US Combine in Los Angeles last month, Fremantle and the Sydney Swans also had recruiters watching Cox's training run and will keep a keen eye on his progress.
Cox took part in skill testing under the guidance of the former Sydney Swan Tadhg Kennelly – himself a convert to the game from Ireland – and the AFL's academies development manager Michael Ablett.
His agility impressed those in Los Angeles and was again on show on Tuesday, when Cox managed to pick the ball up at pace at ground level.
He moved quickly at the ball, was placed in the ruck and marking contests and showed a grasp of kicking skills, which clubs think he will be able to adapt to relatively smoothly over time.
The three Americans already on AFL lists – Patrick Mitchell (Sydney Swans), Eric Wallace (North Melbourne) and Jason Holmes (St Kilda) – also attended the trial, with Wallace showing the benefits of an extended period in the system with strong kicking development in the past 18 months.
Cox's height made him the tallest athlete ever tested at an AFL Combine in Australia or abroad. He ran the 20-metre sprint in three seconds flat, and 11.59 minutes for the three-kilometre time trial.
The 23-year-old's soccer background makes him a unique prospect for the Australian code.
He played soccer from age five through to 18 in Dallas where he grew up, and then had a growth spurt, which saw him convert late to basketball at Oklahoma State University.
