American AFL star Mason Cox lashes out at Australia after footy fans abused him when he was punched in the head
Angry American AFL star Mason Cox has told his followers ‘Australia has a long way to go’ after being targeted with abuse following an incident during Collingwood’s recent clash against the Western Bulldogs.
The match, held at the MCG on Friday night, was part of the Bulldogs’ celebrations marking their 100th anniversary under their original Footscray name.
Controversy erupted in the fourth quarter when Cox was struck across the face by Bulldogs defender Rory Lobb during a contested marking attempt.
The collision forced Cox from the field with visible swelling and cuts under his eye, requiring stitches.
Magpies coach Craig McRae was blunt in his assessment, saying, ‘He looks like he’s got a couple stitches in his eye.
‘Didn’t come back on the ground but I’m not too sure we’re too concerned about that.
Western Bulldogs defender Rory Lobb punched Mason Cox in the face accidentally after trying to effect a spoil on Friday night
The incident knocked Cox to the ground and he was unable to play out the rest of the match
‘But we’ll have to monitor him in the next period. It looked on the vision like he got punched in the face, so he got a couple of stitches.’
Following the incident, Cox shared an image online showing the severity of his injury alongside several hurtful messages he received from fans.
One comment disgracefully celebrated the attack, stating, ‘Cox getting absolutely chinned the best thing since sliced bread.’
Another comment read, ‘I mean, someone had to do it eventually,’ accompanied by a shrugging emoji.
Further abuse came from a commenter who said, ‘Hopefully he left on the first plane back to USA.’
Responding to the vitriol, Cox stated, ‘I love Australia but also think it has a long way to go.’
The player’s reaction got widespread support from fans.
‘Somehow I get a feeling that the people who detest Cox and say such nasty things about him tend to hold anti-America and even anti-West values. Shame,’ one supporter posted.
Cox is treated by medics on the sideline while coach Craig Mcrae looks on with concern
Cox required stitches for a cut under his eye as a direct result of the punch from Lobb
Another simply said, ‘Absolute morons and they’ll always be around unfortunately.’
The AFL’s Match Review Officer (MRO) reviewed the incident but ultimately decided that Lobb’s actions did not warrant a suspension.
In their statement, the AFL explained, ‘It was the view of the MRO that Lobb made a genuine attempt to spoil and that it was not reasonably foreseeable his actions would result in a reportable offence being committed. No further action was taken.’
Questions arose regarding whether Cox’s protective sports glasses contributed to his injury.
Cox wears these glasses following multiple eye surgeries earlier in his AFL career.
When asked about this, Coach McRae said, ‘Potentially. But he got punched in the face.’
