Elevated off the rookie list at the end of 2006, Shannon Cox appeared to have cemented a spot in the senior side after playing in the opening five rounds in season 2009. Positioned as a running defender, Cox averaged 21.6 disposals in his five senior appearances before he was forced to the VFL side for two weeks.
A return to the AFL saw Cox play another six consecutive matches until he finished off the year in the VFL. During his time in the seniors, the 23-year-old demonstrated creativity and leadership down back but was caught out in several occasions when taking his opponent one-on-one.
The defender will place a concerted effort on working on his fitness during the off-season and could enjoy a sustained role down back for 2010.
2009 highlights
Round three v Geelong: Cox was one of the few Magpie defenders to get the better of his opponent during the night, successfully limiting Travis Varcoe in the 52-minute contest. The small forward was held goalless with just the six possessions while Cox racked up 10 touches and three marks. He finished the match with 22 possessions and one goal.
Round four v Brisbane: Arguably playing his most versatile role in his young career, Cox gained the upper hand over several opponents including Daniel Rich, Tim Notting and Jared Brennan. The Magpie collected a career-high in disposals (27) and a season-high nine marks.
Mark Neeld: Shannon started the year in the seniors and played about the first five games. We know he's got an outstanding ability to read the play, win possession and use the ball and he displayed that on occasions. He had a couple of stints in the AFL team and it was a similar story for him as it was for a couple of others. When he lost his spot the back six settled and there weren't really any injuries after that. But Shannon is a player that we know has got good, quality skills for AFL football.
2009 AFL statistics
| G | K | H | D | M | G | B | T | C |
| 11 | 9.9/70.6 | 8.8/82.5 | 18.7 | 4.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 2.7 | 1.3 |
2009 VFL statistics
| G | K | H | D | M | T |
| 10 | 8.1 | 6.3 | 14.4 | 3.1 | 3.3 |
