Height: 177 cm
Weight: 77 kg
DOB: 15-07-1999
Junior Club: Padthaway
Recruited from: Glenelg (SANFL)
SANFL league games: 14
SANFL league goals: 22
SANFL reserves games: 2
SANFL reserves goals: 1
As a child as Naracoorte Primary School, Tobin Cox was asked by an ABC Open online producer what he wanted to do when he grew up.
It was 2011, and Cox grabbed a blackboard and wrote PLAY A.F.L. in big capital letters before being snapped in a photo.
But as an 18-year-old six years later, Cox had every right to think his dream was after injury ruined his chances of being drafted.
Having won a premiership with Padthaway in 2015, playing with former Woodville-West Torrens and Adelaide midfielder Justin Cicolella, Cox was known to be a dynamic small forward who could play on and find plenty of it.
He kicked three goals in the Grand Final, after seven the week before, as Padthaway thrashed the unbeaten Keith to claim an upset premiership win.
Former Adelaide forward Scott Welsh booted seven goals that day.
It was to be Cox’s last game in the KNTFL in South Australia’s South East before he moved to Adelaide to have a crack at an AFL career.
The then-teenager moved to Henley High School and joined Glenelg in the SANFL full of ambition.
But in 2016 he injured his AC joint in his right shoulder and then dislocated it playing touch football at school, finishing his season with just nine games under his belt.
In his 2017 draft year, he injured the shoulder again after just half a game and he didn’t play again.
Still, he was invited to test at the state draft combine but because of his injury was limited to having his skinfolds, height weight recorded.
After the disappointment of missing out on having his name called on draft night, he refocussed his attention on getting fit and getting back onto the field.
While frustrated, Cox never lost his confidence that his best was good enough.
In 2018 he managed 16 games for Glenelg, with all but two in the league side, and he booted 23 goals, showing speed, skill and class.
And that was enough for Port Adelaide to pick him up with the ninth selection at the 2018 AFL Rookie Draft.
Cox is now inching towards his dream of playing AFL, and if his pace is anything to go by, he’ll get his chance sooner rather than later.