Former St Kilda captain Danny Frawley has no problem with Collingwood for their utilisation of a “loophole” that allowed them to develop and sign Mason Cox.
The Magpies signed Cox as an international rookie in 2014 and have this year seen him flourish into a vital piece to their forward framework.
Footy Classified host Craig Hutchison explained the “loophole” the Pies used to secure Cox’s services, something Frawley applauded.
“It’s high risk, high reward,” Frawley told SEN Breakfast.
“It’s as simple as that. You’ve got to have the cash to be able to do it and a lot of clubs haven’t got that.
“It is a loophole but I don’t mind the loophole because if we can entice some extremely good athletes from other countries, without ignoring our talent here in Australia, country Victoria etc, I got no issue with it whatsoever.
“It could have just as easily fallen flat on is face and the would have been $900,000 washed down the drain.
“It’s a big risk and well done to Collingwood.”
Cox has booted 14 goals in 14 games this season, and ranks third in the AFL for contested marks.
“For four years, they got him as an international rookie, because of the financial strength of the club, they were able to pay him as an international rookie a good number,” Hutchison said on the Channel Nine program.
“I believe it to be $300,000 a year and that money sits outside the salary cap, even when he got called up for 11 games in 2016 and nine in 2017.
“He has only gone onto the list this year when he is ready. Four years of well-paid development that other clubs potentially couldn’t do.
LISTEN to this Sunday's Collingwood v West Coast clash LIVE on 1116 SEN from 12:00pm AEDT with Gerard Whateley, Peter Donegan, Danny Frawley and Adam Cooney
“It’s a loophole in the system, isn’t it?
“I say this as a compliment to Collingwood because they’ve had the vision to over-invest, to pay him a number that’s really attractive and they had the money to do it.”
Magpie Jack Crisp told SEN Breakfast this morning he is “not really shocked” with Cox’s rapid development because of his immense work rate on the training track.
Listen to Jack Crisp’s chat with Jack Heverin, Nick Dal Santo and Danny Frawley on SEN Breakfast in the player below