Mason Cox and his Collingwood teammates painted the AFL as four quarters of utter anarchy in an appearance on the flagship 60 Minutes TV show in the United States.
After being spotted by Collingwood scouts during a talent search in America, the Texan engineer was signed as an international rookie for the 2015 AFL season.
Now, the former college basketball player has appeared on the famed news program on Sunday night, leaving reporter Jon Wertheim shocked at how Cox and his Collingwood teammates described the sport to him.
The biggest difference between the NFL and the AFL? The players are not wearing any protective gear,” Wertheim said.
American AFL player Mason Cox used his appearance on the American version of 60 Minutes to tell his compatriots that absolutely anything goes on an Aussie Rules pitch
He portrayed the AFL as a brutal blood sport where punches are allowed and injured players are simply rolled off the ground
Footage then cut to a training session where Werthunm interviewed Cox and teammates Jack Crisp and Tom Mitchell.
“You forgot your pads?” he asked the Magpies players.
“Not a chance,” Cox laughed.
“No, we’re not violets like the NFL [players].’
“We only wear a mouth guard for the teeth, that’s about it,” Crisp added.
“What happens when a man loses teeth?” Wertheim asked.
“Well, he’s got a big dental bill,” Crisp laughed.
Mitchell then told the story of an unnamed player who had his teeth sprayed all over the football field.
“I had a teammate who had all his teeth knocked out,” he said.
“We played a game in Perth, it was a flight of about four hours, they put them back in and then put his mouthguard in for the flight and he flew home with a mouthguard in it to try and keep them alive.
“But they all died on the plane.”
Cox and his Collingwood teammates spruced up some AFL yarns, leaving American reporter Jon Wertheim (right) shocked at how violent they made the game sound
Jack Crisp and Tom Mitchell got into the act, with Crisp (pictured) saying mouth guards are the only protection players use
When interviewed one-on-one, Cox painted a picture of a lawless sport.
“AFL is unique, it’s unlike anything else in the world. I think it’s the toughest sport in the world with how much you have to run, the collisions, everything,” Cox said.
“There really are no rules, you can tackle, you can hit people.”
“You describe that with excitement, this anarchy – do you like this?” Wertheim asked.
“Yeah, like it’s just a chaotic sport that no one really knows except Australia,” Cox replied.
What’s the most ferocious attack you’ve seen in an Aussie Rules football game? Wertheim asked.
“I’ve seen I’ve seen people knock people out, seen people beat people [when they are] don’t look and knock them out,” Cox replied.
“I’ve seen people lying unconscious on the ground next to me after being tackled and hit.
“It’s a terrible thing to say, but you get used to it.
“People with broken fingers, you know, broken arms, broken legs, you see all that in the game and it’s one of those things where you come to the realization that you’re never going to come out of the game the same way. came in.
“Your body will be different, you’ll have aches and pains, and chances are you’ll break quite a few bones along the way.”