Collingwood tall Mason Cox will sign a contract extension with the Magpies, according to Channel Seven’s Mitch Cleary.
The 30-year-old had explored whether he may find more playing opportunities elsewhere, but is reported to be in the final stage of negotiations on a one-year deal.
Cox played just seven games last season, having been supplanted by Darcy Cameron as the Pies’ preferred forward-ruck.
However with ruckman Max Lynch having moved to Hawthorn and former Geelong tall Nathan Kreuger to challenge Cameron for his forward role, the American has backed in his height and versatility.
“He wants to play in the team and get opportunity like everyone at that age, he doesn’t want to be just a back-up,” Collingwood GM of Football Graham Wright told Trade Radio earlier this month.
“I think he’s open-minded about being with us and in a perfect world he’d like to be with us, but he wants to play as well.”
Cox’s manager Liam Pickering revealed that a move west was in the works, had Dockers ruckman Rory Lobb found his way back to Greater Western Sydney.
“There was a discussion with Fremantle over the weekend if Lobb had gone,” Pickering told SEN Mornings after the trade period.
“I spoke to ‘Wallsy’ (David Walls) about it, Justin Longmuir had a chat with Mason because he knows him from Collingwood and Matty Boyd’s over there as well.
“If Rory had have gone to the Giants, it would have been real.”
Having spent most of his career as a forward who occasionally relieves dual All-Australian Brodie Grundy in the ruck, more minutes in the middle could be on the cards for Cox.
“We know he can play a number of roles, he’s almost seven foot tall, so he should be able to play in the ruck and we’ve seen him in that role before,” Wright told reporters weeks ago.
Cox has played 76 games and kicked 93 goals for Collingwood since he was signed as an international rookie in 2014.