Why does Mason Cox wear glasses?
SINCE 2016 Mason Cox has been building an impressive career for himself at AFL level.
But in 2019 he suffered a devastating eye injury during a game which left him having to wear glasses for the foreseeable future.
Why does Mason Cox wear glasses?
Since the beginning of the 2022 season, Mason has been wearing protective goggles.
He has been wearing protective eyewear following multiple surgeries on his eyes to combat a condition that threatened to end his career.
He had to request permission from the AFL in order to wear them during games.
The glasses reduce glare from the stadium lights and are estimated to cost $3000.
What happened to Mason Cox’s eyes?
Mason was accidentally poked in the eye by former Gold Coast Suns Ruckman Peter Wright in 2019, causing a torn retina in both eyes.
Since 2019, he has undergone six bouts of surgery – three on his left eye, two on the right and cataract surgery.
Speaking on KIIS 101.1’s Jase & Lauren, Mason opened up on the traumatic eye injury.
“I won’t get into the details too much but essentially half my eye was pulled off, half my retina fell off and I had to go into hospital, sew the thing back up and was blind,” he said.
“For about 45 minutes of every hour I was on my back staring at the ceiling unable to see for two weeks.
“Two weeks on my own in a dark room not being able to see anything.
“People talk about quarantine being bad. Get a finger in the eye, sit in the house and not be able to get out of bed for two weeks, and (then) talk to me.
“It was probably the lowest moment of my life, I will say that.
“But we’ve come out the other end and whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger I guess.
“It’s just part of it. You compare everything to that now. Life could get a lot worse. I could be back to that situation.”
How is Mason Cox doing now?
In 2020, Mason spoke about how the surgery left him all but legally blind for the time.
“It was a bit crazy. I had to essentially try out a bunch of different contacts just to be able to see correctly in my left eye after bouts of surgery,” He said.
“I was clear out of one eye – the right eye – but I was over-exposed on the left so the pupil in my left eye doesn’t constrict … I was having to try to figure out how to handle that with new LED lights at the MCG, which were blinding.
“Even halfway into the year I was essentially blind out of one eye.”
Despite his eye troubles, Mason continues to play football, and in July 2023 he signed a fresh contract extension to remain at Olympic Park beyond 2023.
He agreed a two-year deal to remain with Magpies until at least the end of 2025.