Forward of his second yr main the Sydney Swans, Dean Cox’s workplace reveals the calls for of the position. A whiteboard lined in diagrams highlights the extraordinary preparation for the 2026 AFL season opener towards Carlton on the SCG, underscoring early mornings and late nights.
Household because the Driving Pressure
At his desk, private touches stand out: a photograph of his spouse, Kerry, and daughters, Charlotte and Isabella, alongside an aerial view of his hometown, Dampier in Western Australia, over 5000 kilometers from Sydney. Throughout his difficult debut season, the place the Swans completed tenth and missed the finals, Cox juggled teaching pressures with household life.
“One factor my spouse all the time mentioned once I began was, ‘While you get dwelling you’re a dad, not a coach’,” Cox shared. “There are nonetheless instances now the place she goes, ‘I’d relatively you spend time in your cellphone within the automotive out the entrance till you’re completed after which are available and be current’.”
He admitted the steadiness is not excellent however important. “So I attempted to have that and she or he would always remind me. Did I do it most likely in addition to I may have? No. Nevertheless it’s additionally a part of the job that it is advisable perceive, that after our work it’s a continuing factor.” Cox described dealing with household actions with the children in the course of the day, then tackling work late at night time, very similar to professionals in different demanding fields.
Studying from Final Season’s Struggles
The Swans began final yr with simply two wins of their first seven video games, creating an uphill battle that ended with out finals. The 11 losses provided useful classes, significantly the heavy 90-point defeat to Adelaide in Could on the SCG, proper after the 2005 premiership reunion.
“It got here to a head towards Adelaide – as a soccer membership, that was actually laborious to take,” Cox mirrored. “We had the 20-year reunion, you’re honouring that, we would have liked a response … It was an opportunity as a footy division to realign and to return to what we initially got down to do … who we wished to be. And, to the gamers’ credit score and to everybody’s credit score on the soccer membership, they did that, however it was too late.”
Accidents sidelined key gamers like Logan McDonald, Tom Papley, Errol Gulden, and captain Callum Mills, complicating methods all through the season.
Constructing a Stronger Squad for 2026
With a more healthy roster now, Cox focuses on integrating prized recruit Charlie Curnow, previously of Carlton, as a key ahead menace. Latest group pictures at Moore Park captured Curnow drawing consideration from photographers.
Cox praised Curnow’s affect past scoring. “I feel the largest factor I’ve seen is his work ethic on the coaching observe,” he mentioned. “There’s additionally the connection he has with the defenders right here; you’re getting Lewis Melican and Tom McCartin and Dane Rampe and Will Edwards that truly get the possibility to coach on this type of participant.”
“They’re going as laborious as they’ll towards one another, so I feel the worth is for him to play, and to play properly, however it’s additionally about what he brings to different folks. He’s had an awesome summer season. We’ve nonetheless obtained a number of work to do to hopefully make him actually play to his strengths and get our aspect going.”
The Swans traded Will Hayward and Ollie Florent to Carlton, organising intriguing reunion narratives for the opener. Cox acknowledged the issue of such choices. “You’re in a management place the place it’s important to make choices. They don’t turn out to be any simpler,” he famous. “One factor that I delight myself on is being shut with my gamers, however I nonetheless should have the boundary of once I have to decide on whether or not it’s selecting a participant, whether or not it’s buying and selling, whether or not it’s delisting a participant – none of them are simple, however I settle for it’s a part of the job.”
Off-Season Highlight and Ahead Outlook
The low season introduced sudden consideration when Cox appeared on digicam on the SCG in the course of the Ashes fifth Check, sipping beer from a wine glass along with his tie loosened. “I definitely loved simply sitting on the market, simply watching the cricket, after which type of my cellphone began buzzing and I didn’t even realise I used to be on digicam. However yeah, it was a superb little afternoon,” he recalled.
To preempt group banter, Cox printed the pictures and posted them within the group room, embracing the second with humor—a tactic honed from his days as one of many recreation’s prime ruckmen.
Heading into 2026 with renewed confidence from a powerful summer season, Cox stays centered on the current. “We’ve obtained a number of confidence out of this summer season, and as for the way far we will go, I don’t look too far forward; even within the fixture checklist I don’t look too far forward … I’ll look to our pre-season video games after which I’ll look to these first three after which fear about what comes after,” he mentioned.
