FINAL HOORAH TO MATE
HONOUR FOR ALEX
ALEX Aurrichio’s legacy extends well beyond the Southport Sharks where the American lined up in the NEAFL competition.
The 31-year-old, who died on Monday after an accident while riding his bike in the Northern Territory, will be honoured this AFL season by Collingwood star and close friend Mason Cox.
“I’ll try to go out there and live out that AFL dream he was never able to complete,” he said.
Every game I play I’ll think about him and I’ll try to go out there and play for him and live out that AFL dream he was never able to complete.
MASON COX ON ALEX AURRICHIO
H
OORAH baby. It was a catchcry synonymous with late footballer Alex Aurrichio and it rang in the mind of fellow American, friend and Collingwood ruckman Mason Cox as he broke down in tears in the spa at the Magpies training facility on Tuesday.
Collingwood is one of the biggest sporting clubs in Australia but it was alone in the water where Cox finally let his emotions show after going through nearly the entire day coming to grips with the late Southport Sharks player’s death following an accident in the Northern Territory the evening before.
“I just wanted to get out of (the club) and be in my own space,” Cox, 29, said.
“I remember getting into the spa and breaking down. It was pretty tough. It was the realisation I wouldn’t see him again and all these thoughts come into your head.
“What was the last thing I said to him? Did he lead a full life and all this kind of stuff.
“I just sat in the spa and broke down and dunked my head in the water about 100 times in 20 minutes. It was tough. I got into the car and got home and broke down completely.”
Cox had been told of the news by friend Abbey Holmes and Collingwood assistant Garry Hocking that morning, braving the day where the football community does what it does best: wrap arms around its own.
“Once I got around the footy boys I got through the rest of the day,” Cox said.
“I saw Bucks (Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley) who gave me a hug and said ‘I’m here for you if you need anything’.”
THE LAST CONVERSATION
COX remembers his last chat with Aurrichio vividly. It came just five days before the New York giant, who stood at 198cm and weighed about 110kg, lost his life.
“We had an hour-long chat on the phone, talking about life and the AFL coming back, what he had been up to and what he had been doing during COVID,” Cox said of his talks with the 30-year-old. “He had hung out with a friend of mine, Abbey, and had gone on a trip to the Northern Territory with a group of friends.
“He was doing this weird and wacky stuff but you wouldn’t question it because he was so pumped about it. “It was a good chat. It’s surreal to hear the news the other day but it was good to at least know we were still in contact.
“He loved to say ‘hoorah baby’. That is what his little thing was. Every time I finished talking to him through text message or whatever he would always end with hoorah. “He was always a very encouraging man. He was always there saying how proud he was of everything I’m doing.
“He was a charismatic person and a guy I won’t forget.”
THE MEETING
The US compatriots, Cox from the south (Texas) and Aurrichio from the east (New York), first met at an international Aussie rules combine in Los Angeles in April 2014.
Cox had experience in basketball and Aurrichio had already excelled at soccer and baseball but it was clear from the outset which one already had his eye on the AFL. “I was ignorant to what the AFL was, Alex was probably the only one at that combine who had heard of it,” Cox said.
“He was mad for it and loved it. We were all taken in a little van from place to place and we would chat about things. He would sit in the centre of the van and, knowing him, he would have loved that.
“We always kept in contact and somehow or someway our paths seemed to cross in our journey in Australian rules.
“He was so hyped and was like ‘man, how good would it be to get a gig’. The rest of us were there because it was a free trip to LA.
“He was like one of the coaches because he just got it. We did drills and no one would know what the drills were and he would give you a tip or two on how to do it.”
Aurrichio didn’t get the interest from clubs that Cox got but he arrived in Australia at the end of 2014, going on to play for clubs including the Northern Blues in the VFL, SANFL side South Adelaide, Waratah FC in the NTFL, Southport in the NEAFL and QAFL affiliate Broadbeach.
AUSTRALIAN BOND
AURRICHIO may have never made it to the AFL but
Cox said he played an instrumental role in helping the Magpies’ 2018 grand final player’s mental wellbeing while being so far from home.
“He was one of those people I could look to for a chat and get an honest opinion from,” Cox said.
“I would always leave the chat feeling a bit better.
“I have a photo from a dinner one night and myself and Alex paid for a friend’s tab because he left early. We gave him s*** about it for years.”
HONOURING AURRICHIO
WHEN Cox returns to the field after battling a knee ailment he will look to personally honour Aurrichio’s memory.
“I’ll be writing something on my wrists or on my boots or something,” Cox said.
“He will be in my mind whenever I walk out on to the ‘G’ now. In my early stages at Collingwood I was playing a VFL game against the Blues and we played against each other at the MCG.
“(This week) we got to go back on Wednesday to do a practice match and it was weird walking out there and thinking about those memories and embracing before the game, chatting through the game and having a great time.
“It was eerie and weird to do 48 hours after his passing. It was good to go back there.
“Every game I play I’ll think about him and I’ll try to go out there and play for him and live out that AFL dream he was never able to complete.”
Cox said he had spoken to US Consulate officials to see if there was anything he could do to assist in getting Aurrichio’s body back to his family in New York.