Collingwood big man Mason Cox has defended Lloyd Meek for using his knee in a ruck contest against Mark Blicavs during the Hawthorn-Geelong Easter Monday clash, saying the act is sheer ruck craft.
Early in the first quarter of the MCG contest, Blicavs copped Meek’s knee to his ribs during a centre bounce ruck contest. The Cats utility free kick received a free kick but was hunched in the middle of the ground in agony as club medicos rushed to his side.
Blicavs exited the game but escaped serious injury and returned midway through the second term.
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Meek escaped with a $3000 fine for the act, which was graded as careless and medium impact to the body.
The incident has prompted a mixed reaction from the footy world including fiery comments Cats coach Chris Scott, who’d previously vented frustrations over a similar incident that injured ruckman Rhys Stanley, urging players that use their knees at ruck contests to “stop doing it.”
But speaking on The Mason Cox Show podcast, the American Magpie said Meek hadn’t done anything illegal and was simply protecting himself before questioning the purpose of centre bounce ruck contests if players can’t put their knees up.
“I respect Chris (Scott) and his opinion. (But) if you’re in the centre bounce and you get a knee to the rib and still get your hands to the ball, (it’s) play on,” Cox said.
“That’s the (the rules) I’ve always been told … I don’t think it should’ve been (a free kick to Blicavs). (Meek) got his hands to the ball and actually got the hitout.
“Mark came across too early trying to make contact. Meek said: ‘OK, well I’m just going to stick my knee out,’ protecting himself.
“To me, if you sit there and say we’re not allowed to put our knees up anymore, then what’s the point of the ruck contest? We might as well just have a ball up in the middle of (the ground).
“It’s jumping with your knee to protect yourself. That’s why (ruckmen) wear shin guards, because you know someone is going to be trying to literally injure you.
“You might break a rib. I’ve broken ribs … it’s part of being a ruckman.”
Cox believes Blicavs “doesn’t even look at the ball” during the ruck contest, suggesting it’s what prompted Meek to put his knee up.
The Texas-born Pie thinks it showed Blicavs’ relative inexperience in the role, saying the 198cm Cat’s “not a ruckman”.
“(Meek), probably thinking he’s (Blicavs) going to go and jump into him, puts his knee up, probably to protect himself but also to match his energy coming towards him to off-set it,” Cox said.
“And Mark’s just copped one in the ribs – he didn’t put his knee up to protect himself. I love the guy, but he’s not a ruckman, he’s not tall enough to be a ruckman. He’s a great player, don’t get me wrong.
“I remember when I played him, he asked the umpire in the centre bounce in the middle of a game if he could go inside the centre circle.
“Don’t get me wrong, (I’m a) big fan of Mark Blicavs … but with Rhys Stanley out, they’re the same as us (Collingwood), we’re trying to fill a (ruck) role.
“Unfortunately, sometimes if you’re not 100 per cent sure of what you can and can’t get away in the ruck, you’re going to be opened up for an injury, that’s for sure.”
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Cox also argued ruckmen that engage with their opponent before a contest should cop a free kick against, adding “people like Toby Nankervis have been doing that for years.”.
“A lot of the times as a ruckman, it’s almost: ‘What can I get away with?’” Cox said.
“You’ll see (examples where) a ball get thrown in, and before the ball even leaves the umpire’s hand from the boundary, the ruckmen are already in contact engaging within two metres.
“There’s a lot of: ‘OK, I’m going to put the pressure on you umpire to essentially make a call here. If you don’t, I’m going to keep doing this for the rest of the game.’
“A lot of umpires just let it go. I couldn’t tell you the last time I heard early contact from an umpire – I don’t think I’ve ever heard that in my career.
“There’s things like even in centre bounces where ruckmen step outside the centre circle before they go. Almost every single ruckman does it, but I’ve never seen a free kick from it.
“There’s little things like that the umpires just let go because they want the game to play on, that’s the AFL rules.”
Cox is currently sidelined with a hematoma injury, leaving Collingwood’s ruck stocks undermanned with Darcy Cameron also out with a knee issue.