Magpies’ Mason Cox reveals his favourite things about Australia – but he can’t get the slang right
Collingwood star Mason Cox reveals the thing that still shocks him about Australia after becoming a citizen – and he still can’t get his go-to Aussie saying right!
- Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Cox became a citizen at the MCG on Wednesday
- He’s been in Australia since 2014 after starring at the AFL International Combine
- Ruckman has revealed Aussie slang is hard for him to get used to
Magpies ruckman Mason Cox has been in Australia for eight years and became a citizen on Wednesday – but there are still things about living Down Under that leave him scratching his head.
The 31-year-old was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and came to Melbourne in 2014 after attending the AFL International Combine in the USA.
He’s gone on to be an incredible pick-up for the Pies, almost single-handedly dragging them over the line in the 2018 preliminary final against Richmond and starring as one of their best in the grand final loss to West Coast.
Cox passed his citizenship knowledge test with flying colours before officially becoming an Aussie at a ceremony at the MCG on Wednesday, but it’s probably a good thing there wasn’t a section on local slang.
The star ruckman officially became a citizen at a ceremony at the MCG on Wednesday
Cox – seen here with Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp – is still getting used to the way Aussies give almost everything an abbreviated nickname
‘Plenty of things in Australia have surprised me over the years. One that always sticks out, though, is how everything is abbreviated,’ he told the Herald Sun.
‘From people’s names to ordinary things around the house, it seems as though everything has a nickname.
‘That took a bit to understand when I first came here and now I love teaching my friends overseas some of the crazy sayings of Australians.’
Asked which one is his favourite, the ruckman said, ‘The classic, “She’ll be alright”‘ – which is not quite correct, as the actual term is ‘she’ll be right’.
The 211cm Pie (pictured battling Melbourne’s Max Gawn in round 13) is a huge fan of the relaxed attitude to life Down Under compared to the USA
‘It sums up Australians so well,’ he added. ‘Also the idea of work to live, not live to work is something I have become very fond of in the culture here.’
Cox said the other huge differences between his new home and the USA are ‘guns, healthcare, decent minimum wage’.
He said his favourite Aussie celebrities include Chris Hemsworth and Tones and I, but there’s one very famous feature of life Down Under that he’s not a fan of: Vegemite.
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