Former AFL player Shannon Cox indicates endorsed plea of guilty in Geraldton court for meth possession

A former AFL player facing methamphetamine charges was a no-show in court last week, but an endorsed plea of guilty was indicated to the magistrate.

Shannon John Cox, 37, has been charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell or supply, as well as possessing drug paraphernalia containing a prohibited drug, after being charged on February 4.

Cox did not attend Geraldton Magistrates Court in person on March 31, but Magistrate Colin Roberts was told Cox had indicated an endorsed plea of guilt.

He is set to be sentenced on May 11, when Mr Roberts said there was a possibility Cox would receive a jail term.

Cox played 25 games for Collingwood between 2007 and 2009, and has played for Rovers in the Great Northern Football League.

He was at the centre of a brawl towards the end of last season, during the finals series, in the carpark of Geraldton’s Recreation Ground, with mobile phone footage capturing a fight between Mr Cox and another man, as each traded punches.

Cox was given a two-match suspension, meaning he missed the GNFL grand final which his side won, and is set to miss the first game of the 2023 season, when Rovers play Brigades at home on April 29.

When contacted by the Geraldton Guardian this week, Rovers coach Ian Comben declined to comment on whether the club would take any action against Cox over the drug charges, or if he would play this season.