A giant teenager with less than two years experience has won a coveted spot on Box Hill's VFL list.
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Myrtleford's Toby Cossor represented Victoria at the under 20 Australian Junior Basketball Championships in March, 2022.
But he quit the sport just a few months later to join his home town club in the Ovens and Murray Football League.
"I stopped playing footy when I was about 13 and it was all basketball from there, but I then lost the enjoyment," he suggested.
He played the back half of that year in the under 18s at the Saints and then combined reserves and seniors last year, along with five games at the region's junior representative outfit Murray Bushrangers.
He then got a call to attend a talent ID day and soon had Hawthorn head of development and three-time Hawks' premiership player Andy Collins on the line.
"I did a pre-season at Box Hill (Hawthorn's VFL feeder club) and trained my guts out and got a contract," he said.
Cossor started the pre-season at 112kgs, but quickly stripped 8kgs.
He's now back to his ideal playing weight of 108kgs and at 205cms is an imposing figure.
And to make matter worse for opponents he's an aggressive big man.
"That's what I prioritise, using that weight, size and aggression to my advantage, as I've never been overly athletic," he offered.
"I also pride myself on tackling and protecting my team-mates, just being that aggressive ruckman around the ground, so my team-mates can walk a bit taller."
It's an unselfish and mature attitude, particularly considering Cossor doesn't turn 20 until December.
The Box Hill Hawks will start pre-season games soon, but their recruit doesn't know if he will start in seniors or return to Myrtleford as his second club.
"Hopefully I can get a kick at Box Hill, my kicking has got a lot better, but if I don't play there in round one, it's not the end of the world as I've only been playing just over a year, my time will come and I'm just keen to play footy mate."
