It’s the one injury that will destroy just about every fantasy team: the premier ruckman in the game is proppy.
It’s only an unsourced rumour at this stage, but word out at Eagles Flying High, the West Coast fan forum, is that Dean Cox is struggling with either gastro or an abdominal strain. Here are the quotes, you can decide for yourself. The first comes from Total Package, an Eagles stalwart of many years standing with quite a reputation as a forum troll, but usually serious when he’s talking about his beloved boys.
I went down to Eagles training tonight and this is what I saw
* Dean Cox walked laps and did not touch a footy. Did no training whatsoever. He is definately has an injury.
* Daniel Kerr trained well and his kicking seemed fine to me.
* Ben McKinley didn’t take part in training and just did laps. He had some shots for goals at the end on his own but that was it.
* LeCras trained well.
* Nic Nat is a freak. His hands are alot better than I thought and marked well. In marking drills with Notte he just jumped over the top and outmarked him. In some short centre bounce drills he was behind Seaby and just jumped a foot above him and won the tap easily.
* Ashley Smith impressed me
Just today, another couple of posts from Eagles fans who I do not know anything about.
Ive heard that Coxxy will behaving a fitness test in the morning – Abdomen injury apparently – If he misses Seaby will replace him.
Ive also heard McKInley is in a bit of doubt aswell due to an injury he picked up last week – Butler to replace him if he misses is the news too.
Really unstable at the moment. Doesn’t bode well for a good result tomorrow.
Cox, McKinley and Wirrapanda all rumoured to be doubtful and 5 changes from last week.
Given all that, I suppose Rosa and Nicoski have kept their places by default. But geez it’s strange that Houlihan continually gets ignored and Schofield appears to be the ‘forgotten Eagle’.
Good luck Swifty.
The gastro rumours seem to have started when Cox was seen “vomiting violently” at quarter time against Collingwood (report), a game in which he collected only 12 possessions, was beaten by Cameron Wood and came under media scrutiny for a weak contest in the defensive goalsquare where he was bundled over easily by John Anthony.
The Anthony contest would be more attributable to an abdominal strain, though it’s anyone’s guess as to what the real truth is. Talkback radio in Perth is notoriously unreliable in reporting facts, with spuds like Karl Langdon, Brad Hardie and Adrian Barich talking a load of old toot, so it wouldn’t surprise me if some of this speculation came through unsupported gossip on the likes of 6PR.
Nevertheless, we will know about this before bouncedown on Friday. But if it’s true, what to do? Having a look at teams in my leagues, most of us have a combination of non-playing rookies and draftees like Jake Spencer, Angus Graham, Andrew L. Browne, Mike Pyke, Daniel Currie, Sam Jacobs and John Meesen. I am lucky enough to have Jesse White in my Super Coach team but for my Dream Team, as I suspect for most of you, I would be staring at a donut if Cox does withdraw (ho ho).
Panic, pray, or pounce with a trade? Eat the donut, I’m afraid. Most of us are burning through trades at a fair rate of knots as it is, we can’t justify spending one on what one would hope would be a one-week proposition. Although, even though Mark Seaby is the likely replacement for Cox this week in the emergencies, talk amongst Eagle fans is that Nicholas Naitanui will be unleashed some time around the split round. Could we see Cox rested to get his abdomen tickety-boo while NicNat and Seaby have a lash in the ones? Watch this space.
UPDATE: The final teamsheets for this evening’s game have been posted, with no changes. Still time enough for a late late change of course, but it appears Cox is going to soldier on through whatever is bothering him. Onya big guy.
Dicko
May 28, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Bugger!
Scratchy
May 28, 2009 at 10:51 pm
i’m not sure something that affects almost every decent coach in both comps can be described as a WCS. of course i want him to play cos i’d be looking at donuts in both comps but at least i know this will affect heaps of coaches.
m0nty
May 28, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Scratchy: Ah, but there was a pun in the headline! 🙂
pete82
May 28, 2009 at 11:01 pm
no truth in the cox rumour, seaby did not travel to melbourne. if there was any doubt at all he would have travelled as an emergency
evawes1
May 28, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Its like the Higgins injury – does it really matter, everyone has him 😉
Repeat for Gazza (except for me). I get the pun… now.
This will be the only week ever when Im glad not to have Cox. My only week.
footycool
May 28, 2009 at 11:29 pm
so will he be a withdrawel on friday m0nty?
the dud
May 29, 2009 at 12:03 am
surely hutchy will find out about the big cox
Fenez
May 29, 2009 at 12:30 am
Early on in the year there was a post up on tooserious (and it was the first time id been to the website) saying that big cox was injured for something like 6 weeks and i almost traded him out until i realised it was an april fools joke!!! I cant beleive i almost fell for it!
I dont know if theres anything in the rumour, cause its seams like its just fans and hearsay, but im still a bit nervous heading into friday night, as ive only got jake spencer and ayce cordy on the bench!
Ive had so many donuts in the last month its ridiculous! I could almost sell a box full by now!!! (ok i know it was a lame joke : P)
SimonOz
May 29, 2009 at 2:01 am
I for one stand in the face of adversity and will make Big Cox my Captain this week as the squirrels run for cover….
(yes I’m idiot but maybe a clever one)
I also dont get the pun in the headline 🙁
Disco DB
May 29, 2009 at 3:41 am
Couldn’t care less what any forum troll has to say, this is BS.
stuartfaz
May 29, 2009 at 9:08 am
No truth to Cox pulling out I don’t think.
He has looked a bit stiff lately, and it’ll probably be hard for him to get up, but the Eagles haven’t named any cover, so he’ll push on.
I wouldn’t put a C on him this week though.
Frankdagun
May 29, 2009 at 9:24 am
@ evawes1. “Everyone has him” except for my opponent in sc this week who has Sandilands!!
If Monty is logging this as a seperate post, then there must be some truth to it. Even if he does play, he is obviously hindered in some sort of way. Prepare for a score of 60-odd or at worst the – donut!!
Turbo5
May 29, 2009 at 9:33 am
You bag the boys from 6PR in your blog Monty, but you’re prepared to write up an article based on what has been said on a forum??
Jazzman
May 29, 2009 at 9:40 am
Just remember back to last year. Rumours galore surrounded Cox missing games with a broken foot.
Games played = 22
Avg = 106.73
You would’ve broken your own foot if you’d been sucked in enough to trade him out.
If he is out, it won’t be for long.
footycool
May 29, 2009 at 12:46 pm
This is probably Bogus info m0nty u should ban yourself lol
m0nty
May 29, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Turbo5: I would trust EFH over 6PR any day.
Nick
May 29, 2009 at 1:34 pm
I think we need to consider that he may have been playing for a free kick, claiming to have been thrown out of the contest, off the ball, and that’s why he was so easily shifted.
pascoe
May 29, 2009 at 2:41 pm
i do not have coxy. In the top 17 teams in dreamteam, 14 have coxy. therefore not everybody has him because others spent money elsewhere and look to get cox at cheaper than you all did. I know a lot say i am silly not for having him, but still, not everyone has him
SC Slave
May 29, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Sorry guys. Feel this this may all be my fault. Had Brad Ottens in my opening team – injured after 2. Sam Jacobs on the pine – injured after 4. Jake Spencer on the pine – dropped after 2. John Meesen in – injured after 4. Tom Bellchambers in – played three games, scores of 16 and 4 included. Last night after preying to ruck-gods for forgivness, bought Dean Cox. The gods are argry. I am forsaken.
tiger09
May 29, 2009 at 6:38 pm
The Big Cox will play =)
footycool
May 29, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Cox Selected. Teaches u, m0nty to not trust some teenagers trying to get into the headlines!
Prospector
May 30, 2009 at 1:14 am
Shows what a good haircut can do folks.