TOWERING American Mason Cox will head to Australia later this month to be trialled by four AFL clubs interested in signing him as an international rookie.
Cox, who at 211.4cm is the tallest player ever tested by the AFL in Australia or overseas, was a standout at last month's USA Combine at Los Angeles.
His speed, agility and ball-handling impressed onlookers, so much so that he will travel to Australia and take another important step towards joining an AFL list.
"We will manage his program over the course of eight days, and he will test at four of the clubs, so it's going to be pretty exciting," Kevin Sheehan, the AFL's national talent manager, told AFL.com.au.
"We'll do some work with him on the skills of the game initially with (former Sydney Swan) Tadhg Kennelly and (Academies development manager) Mick Ablett and then it's up to the clubs.
"The four clubs will obviously go over him with a fine-tooth comb and see whether they think he's got the potential to be maybe the next Mike Pyke who can come over and be an important player in our game, probably in the ruck position."Six clubs – North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Collingwood, Richmond, Fremantle and the Sydney Swans – attended the three days of testing in America.
American trio Jason Holmes (St Kilda), Eric Wallace (North Melbourne) and Patrick Mitchell (Sydney Swans) are already on AFL lists as international rookies, and Sheehan believes more clubs are viewing America as a fertile recruiting ground."I think the next frontier is no doubt the USA," he said.
"The prospects are very bright for boys from that part of the world."
TOP NUMBERS AT USA COMBINE
Height
Mason Cox Oklahoma State University 211.4cm
Joshkerma Nicholas Alcorn State 207.6
Naofall Folahan Wagner College 205.7
Oscar Evans Northwestern State University 203.2
Josh Warren Troy University, Alabama 202.5
Compare these results with the stars of 2013 NAB AFL Draft combine
Absolute vertical jump
Justin Wesley University of Kansas 359cm
Joshkerma Nicholas Alcorn State 349
Naofall Folahan Wagner College 349
Mason Cox Oklahoma State University 348
Alex Osborne Loyola Marymount 344
Marvin Baynham Georgia Southern 344
20-metre sprint
Justin Wesley University of Kansas 2.81sec
Marvin Baynham Georgia Southern 2.82
Orlando Parker Wagner College 2.95
Jay Smith Ohio University 2.96
Lucas Reed University of New Mexico 2.99
Mason Cox Oklahoma State University 3.00
Agility
Marvin Baynham Georgia Southern 8.14sec
Westley Hinton Troy University, Alabama 8.18
Drew Barham Gonzaga University 8.29
Justin Wesley University of Kansas 8.33
Lucas Reed University of New Mexico 8.37
Repeat sprint
Jay Smith Ohio University 25.72sec
Lucas Reed University of New Mexico 27.26
Naofall Folahan Wagner College 27.35
Alex Osborne Loyola Marymount 27.4
Drew Barham Gongaza University 27.41
Mason Cox Oklahoma State University 27.41
Three-kilometre time trial
Drew Barham Gongaza University 10:55min
Josh Warren Troy University, Alabama 11:07
Alexander Aurrichio Columbia University 11:22
Lucas Reed University of New Mexico 11:38
Jay Smith Ohio University 11:51
Mason Cox Oklahoma State University 11:59
