In the lead-up to the 2021 season, Dons Digital is checking in with some of the Bombers' promising youngsters as they strive to make their mark in 2021.

Next up is Essendon’s first 2020 NAB AFL Draft selection, Nik Cox, who takes us through how he’s finding his first pre-season at AFL level, the position he’s training in and what he's setting out to achieve this year.

Catch up on previous chats with Sam Draper, Ned Cahill, Harrison Jones and Brayden Ham.

Nik, how’s your first pre-season been for you so far? 

“It’s been pretty awesome and incredible. Every day you’re in at the club, you’re spending time with people who all have the exact same goal. Everyone’s wanting to improve, coaches are giving everything they can to make you improve, so it’s an incredible environment to be in.” 

What’s been the biggest challenge this pre-season? 

“I think the massive workload. I’ve never had the full day of training where you then go into a gym session, so I get home and I’m pretty stuffed. I think the most challenging thing is getting through the whole day and bringing that level of intensity into every moment, because you’re pretty tired by the end of it.” 

Have there been any surprises or things you’ve experienced so far that you didn’t expect? 

“It’s probably similar to the last answer, but I didn’t really realise how tired I’d be not only physically but mentally, too, with things like going into all the team meetings, watching vision and learning so much. Previously with footy, you have your training and then you’re done, but now you have the massive loads physically and on your mind it’s pretty taxing, so that’s the biggest thing that’s surprised me.” 

What’s an attribute you’ve personally noticed which has improved over this pre-season? 

“I think I’ve already noticed my strength in a contest has improved. I think a lot of it is sort of my footwork and understanding where I need to place my body which I haven’t had much training in before, so I’ve already seen a massive improvement in that. It’s exciting and reassuring to see those little improvements and that motivates you to keep going further.”

What’s some advice you’ve received from the coaches in terms of coping with pre-season, given you’ve missed a whole year of footy in 2020? 

“I think the biggest thing they’ve said is to be mindful of your sleep and your recovery. That’s the biggest thing, especially being a first-year player. Even if I had have been playing footy, it’d still take a while to adjust to it, so obviously not having that footy and being conditioned, your body can go into shock. They’ve pulled us (draftees) back from a lot things, to sort of ease us into it, get comfortable and make sure our bodies our coping with everything we need to go through to gradually build and play AFL footy eventually.”

Take us through the 2km time trial. How thrilled were you to win that? 

“It was a pretty good feeling. I was lucky a couple of boys in Patty Ambrose and Dylan Clarke didn’t run it, because I know they’re pretty good runners. I just stuck behind 'Langers' (Kyle Langford) and tried to keep behind him and then took over in the last lap. It’s something I sort of had my goals set on. I wanted to, if not win it, post a really good time, because my running is a strength. I really wanted to do well in that.”

Is there anyone in particular who’s taken you under their wing this pre-season to help you improve? 

“A lot of people have been awesome and guiding me into everything. I've spent a lot of time with the mids, so I think a person I’ve always been playing on is Brayden Ham or Tom Cutler and they’re always telling me where I need to go and what I need to do and reassuring me of what I’m doing right, what I’m doing wrong and telling me how to rectify it. So those two boys have been awesome. Also, 'Pidge' (Andrew McGrath), Langers and Zach Merrett have been really great at guiding me into places I need to be and making me feel comfortable. I never feel confused or unsure of where I need to be because they’re always looking to help you which is pretty awesome.”

You’ve mentioned you’re training with the midfield. Is that the position you see yourself playing in? 

“I don’t want to put a roof or cap on where I can play, because one of my strengths is my versatility. I grew up playing a lot on the wing and half-back and then I moved into key position roles and I’ve even spent a lot of time on-ball in the midfield. Wherever I’m needed to play or wherever I can have the biggest impact, I want to be there. I think something I need to understand more are the roles, so I can sort of be thrown around. I’m not someone who needs to be stuck in a position. I feel like I can adapt pretty well in a game and I feel like that’s one of my biggest strengths.”

If we were chatting in 10 months' time, what are some of the goals you’d like to have reached and accomplished in 2021?

“Obviously, you’d like to play your first game and hopefully play a few games, but I think the biggest thing for me is noticing I’ve improved in every area. Obviously, improving my strength is such a big thing for me, but there’s still so much I need to learn about footy and body positioning and other things, so as long as I’ve grown in every area and I can look back and think 'wow, I’m a completely different person and player', and see areas of improvement in my game, I’ll definitely be happy.”