Cedric Cox will play his first AFL game in more than a year after he was named in Senior Coach Chris Fagan’s final 22-man team today to take on Richmond on Sunday at the MCG.

Cox will start off the bench alongside Cam Rayner, Zac Bailey and Noah Answerth.

Josh Walker, Lewis Taylor, Rhys Mathieson and Brandon Starcevich have been named as emergencies.

Speaking in front of Brisbane media this morning, Fagan said that Cox had been busting for an opportunity. His last match in the senior side was Round 18, 2018.

“Coxy has been playing up forward as a small forward, we’ve been really pleased with his progress this year,” he said.

The occasion could not be bigger for Cox’s return to the AFL. The Lions have not beaten Richmond in a decade and the MCG is expected to be packed with more than 65,000 supporters on the weekend.

“They’ve dominated that oval against all opponents,” Fagan said.

“Their record has been sensational there. Their record against us has been very, very good.

“But that’s been the case for a lot of teams that we’ve played this year and we’ve embraced the challenge every time we’ve faced that.”

Fagan also said the game will be important experience ahead of the Lions’ upcoming finals campaign.

“It will be noisy and the boys will be tested,” he said.

In: Cedric Cox
Out: Allen Christensen (Injured)