Dean Cox Biography

Dean Cox is inducted into the AFL's Hall of Fame.

"This is something I didn't expect. You probably don't think you're going to get there or belong there until it happens, and then it's still a bit of a shock. It's a great honour," Cox said.

Cox's one regret from his career was he played in only one flag, and he is certain the West Coast sides in that era were capable of winning more. However, the 38-year-old father of two daughters, Charlotte and Isabella, thinks more about what he does have, which is plenty.

"You talk about the experience you get winning Grand Finals but being a dad is better than anything you can experience personally. It's unreal, it's challenging and forever changing but you wouldn't change it for the world," he said.

Dean Cox joins Sydney's coaching panel after 18 years at West Coast.

"The journey over the years has been an amazing ride. I feel very privileged to have been able to represent this great club for such a long time," Cox said.

"I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity to learn from so many great people, but I know the time is now right to begin a new chapter."

West Coast has finalised its coaching set-up for 2017, refreshing the group as the club prepares for its fourth season under Adam Simpson.

Former Docker Justin Longmuir has been appointed to the senior assistant role, with champion ruckman Dean Cox taking over as joint midfield coach with Adrian Hickmott.

Longmuir is undertaking the AFL's level four coaching course, after being part of the program's second intake at the start of 2016.

Former player Adam Selwood will head up development, Jaymie Graham will become forwards coach and Daniel Pratt will become backline and team defence coach.

West Coast coach Adam Simpson has urged the Eagles crowd to get stuck into Richmond forward Ty Vickery on Friday night in the tall Tiger’s first visit to Domain Stadium since knocking Dean Cox unconscious in 2014.

Vickery was suspended for four weeks after striking Cox with a roundhouse right at a boundary throw-in in Richmond's 17-point win over the Eagles in round 18, 2014.

Cox has subsequently retired and is now an assistant coach with the Eagles.

"Why not? Get into him," Simpson said.

"(Dean's) nose is still a little bit out of whack, so I'm sure he thinks about it most days."

Dean Cox has been appointed as the Eagles' new stoppage coach for 2016.

Cox will take over the role vacated by Don Pyke after Pyke was appointed as the new head coach of Adelaide in October.

"Dean impressed with his work ethic and capacity to pass on his extensive knowledge and experience during the 2015 season," Eagles football manager Craig Vozzo said.

"So it seems like a natural progression for him to also take on the stoppage coaching responsibilities."

Callum Sinclair has credited Eagles' ruck coach Dean Cox with helping him fast-track his development.

"It's been a big emphasis on body-work, body technique, things like that," Sinclair said.

"When you're coming up against guys who are 110kg every week, it's not the easiest job.

"But with (Cox's) level of experience he knows the game inside-out, particularly as a ruckman, so I just try and draw as much knowledge as I can from him."

Dean Cox has revealed that Carlton coach Mick Malthouse tried to talk him out of retirement and get him to join the Blues in 2015.

"I did speak to Mick and he asked if I wanted to play on for another season," Cox told Adelaide radio station 5AA.

"For me, the decision was made. Not being able to do what I wanted to do on the football field for a period of time, the decision was quite easy."

Tom Nicholls says he hopes to model his game after West Coast's Dean Cox after watching hours of game footage.

"He showed me how much he runs and how much reward he gets for that running," Nicholls said about Cox.

"When you play you know when you're jogging and saving your tickets, but with him there's not too many opportunities where you get that with him.

"He's always on the move, running hard and never flat-footed, never walking. That's something I'll be looking to implement this year."

Dean Cox has signed with West Coast as the club's ruck coach for 2015.

"I'm really excited at moving into the next chapter of my life," Cox said.

"I'm looking forward to learning from the great coaches we have at football club and working closely with Nic, Cal and Scotty."

Dean Cox suspects at least 10 Eagles players experimented with drugs during the club's infamous fall from grace last decade.

"That's why it took so long to get all the players back on board," Cox said at the launch of his autobiography 'Iron Eagle'.

"The majority of the players were down one way, and there were a few down another path.

"We were there for team success, and you can't do it while doing a number of things the player group were going through.

"Throughout '06 and '07 there became a real issue where things were privately done.

"Everyone was so stuck to themselves. And then from there it really came to a head where things were really affecting the football club."

Dean Cox has completely dismissed the possibility of being lured out of retirement and has stated his intention to coach in 2015.

"I won't be playing next year, any form of football," Cox said.

"The body will have a good rest and I'll just be coaching – I'll dive straight into that now.

"If it's at West Coast, great. If not, I might have to move."

Eagles coach Adam Simpson is wary of rival clubs poaching retiring ruckman Dean Cox as a ruck coach next season.

"I've got no doubt there's clubs that are talking to him about probably playing as well as coaching," Simpson said.

"That's a decision he's got to work through but we're hoping he stays in the family.

"We'd love to (keep him). We'll work through that in the next few weeks about a role. Hopefully it's full-time and with us."

West Coast coach Adam Simpson says he is keen to give Dean Cox a fitting farewell despite the veteran ruckman still recovering from concussion with only a few weeks remaining in the season.

"I think he's earned the right to play another few games for the rest of the year. I have no problems with bringing him into play," Simpson said.

"He's obviously a sensational player and he's taken the hit for the team really in retiring. It's something that he's acknowledged and I think we need to do it in the right way."

Dean Cox says he received a phone call from Richmond's Ty Vickery and although he appreciates the personal apology, he says they're not the best of mates.

"He personally apologised for the incident and wanted to make sure that my family were aware of that as well," Cox said.

"It was good of him to actually ring and pass on his apology. I've been involved in footy for a long period of time and realise that things can happen that people don't want to or don't expect to happen.

"It was good to get the call from him. I wouldn't say we're best of mates though."

Ty Vickery has apologised to West Coast ruckman Dean Cox following the ugly incident that left the star Eagle concussed.

"In the heat of the game I overstepped the mark with my physicality and aggression," Vickery said.

"I'm very remorseful for that and I unreservedly apologise to Dean and his family.

"I've attempted to make contact but haven't got through to him yet but I will to offer him an apology personally."

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick defends Ty Vickery after the key forward is reported for striking Dean Cox in an incident which left the Eagles ruckman concussed, thereby taking no further part in the match.

"To me, he's a hard, tough player," Hardwick said of Vickery.

"That's what we want at the Tigers. At the end of the day, sometimes you step outside the boundaries, the rules are there. We know the rules. He's a hard, tough Richmond player and that's the way we like him."

Dean Cox has suffered no structural damage after being knocked out when struck on the jaw by Richmond's Ty Vickery during Friday night's game at Paterson's Stadium.

Cox was felled in a ruck contest in the second quarter and was subbed out of the game with concussion.

"[It's] just disappointing to be losing a ruckman during the second quarter and lose him for the rest of the game," West Coast assistant coach Brady Rawlings said.

"Obviously it is not ideal when you have got someone sitting on the bench due to an incident like that."

Richmond football manager Dan Richardson told ABC Grandstand that Vickery was "obviously a bit remorseful for the fact that Dean had gone down the way he had, and I don't think any player goes out to see an opponent hurt like that."

He said the club would support Vickery despite widespread condemnation of his actions, including at the ground from irate West Coast fans.

"You get around your teammates in that situation. Whether or not you have done the right thing or the wrong thing you stick by your teammates and we'll do that as a footy club," Richardson said.

Dean Cox will retire at the end of the season, saying the grind of AFL football had finally taken its toll.

"I've built a career where I thought I could have real impact in games, where I was at a level consistently doing that," Cox said.

"It got to a stage this year where I thought it probably wavered away from that.

"If I was to continue next year, I was probably doing an injustice to myself on what I've established throughout my career."

Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett says the club will let Dean Cox make a call on his future beyond 2014.

"It's really in Dean's court," Nisbett said.

"It'll be Dean's call. We think at the moment that's the best place to leave it. He's been assessing his performances like all players do, and he'll make his mind up very soon.

"When he does, we'll make the necessary decisions after that."

Dean Cox ended a streak of 104 consecutive matches last Saturday when he was rested for the first time since 2009. Cox said it was mutual decision reached with coach Adam Simpson.

"It's just a chance to have a break and get the body right," Cox said.

"It's about when I play, can I play with the best freshness and the best possible football I want to play.

"If that means I have to have a week, if that means I have to have two, if that means I have to have a rest later on in the year, well so be it."

Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett says there will be plenty of challenges for Dean Cox if he plays on in 2015.

"As you get older you have to manage your body better and I think if we want Coxy to play on we have to manage his body better," Nisbett said.

"He has to manage himself too because he is the one who knows his body and at his age I don't think playing 104 games straight is the strategy that we need to adopt from this point on and I know Dean realises that.

"He can't continue to do the workload because he is one of those guys who trains everyday too. He trains, he plays, and he continues.

"If we want him to play next year we have to be smarter about how we manage him."

As West Coast's playing ruck coach in 2014, Dean Cox says he wants to transition into a full-time coaching role once his career is over.

"I've really started to enjoy the role of trying to educate and teach players, and let them have the opportunity to have some of the great football memories that I've had," Cox said.

"To work with the ruck guys and even a lot of younger players when they first come to the club - to try to fast-track and get their development as quickly as possible so they can have an impact - is really rewarding.

"The ruck stuff is certainly happening at the minute. But when I do finish I will stay straight in the AFL system and hopefully sink my teeth right into it."

Dean Cox will break the West Coast games record this week against Geelong and he says reaching 300 games is not out of the question.

Cox will play his 277th match at Simonds Stadium on Saturday night to go past Glen Jakovich's club record of 276.

"It's a lot of games," Cox said.

"I suppose getting to Jako's record wasn't a massive goal but I'm proud of what I've done in my footy career, to be able to represent this great club so many times.

"So 300, if it happens it happens, who knows? But it's not a focus point of mine."

After crossing over to the Eagles from St Kilda in 2013, Jamie Cripps says teammate Dean Cox is one of the best players of the modern era.

"He's an awesome player," Cripps said.

"He's nearly got the best skills at the club kicking both left and right foot really well. Coming in from outside I didn't know he was this good but he's one of the best footballers I've seen."

Dean Cox will break an AFL record against St Kilda on Saturday by going past Stephen Milne for the most games played by a rookie-listed player, with 276.

Eagles teammate Callum Sinclair labels Cox a 'freak'.

"I'm in shock sometimes," Sinclair said.

"He's one of those guys who's good at everything. He's very professional around the club and takes his footy very seriously. He takes pride in his body.

"He's a freak. I think we're going to have to cart him out of the joint. I don't think he'll be going any time soon. He's playing terrific footy."

Dean Cox signs on with the Eagles for 2015 and is on track to beat Glen Jakovich's club games-played record.

"When you get to my age, it's a matter of 'can I still perform at the level I want to?'" Cox said.

"And then 'can my body allow me to do that?'

"If I can tick both of those boxes, and I still have a huge desire and passion to play good football for this footy club, then the decision at this time of the year was very easy."

Dean Cox says there is no doubt in his mind that he wants to play on in 2014.

"Certainly at my age, you want to make sure that you can play football next year, body permitting, if it allows you to," Cox said.

"And then if you still have the drive, the passion to want to succeed at this level, which I've still got."

Dean Cox says wants to play on in 2014 but that he is not prepared to sign a contract extension for longer than a year.

"Obviously I still love playing the game and I have that really competitive feeling every time I go out," Cox said.

"So I want to continue playing footy. But I don't want put it more than a season because I don't know how I am going to feel."

Dean Cox's manager Paul Connors says his client is keen to play on next year.

"'Coxy' wants to play on at West Coast," Connors said.

"His form this year has been really good and his body is still in good nick, so we expect to start talks with the club soon."

Scott Selwood has beaten a strong field to win the Eagles' club champion award, holding out Dean Cox by three votes.

"I honestly didn't think I'd get anywhere near the top five so I ducked off and made sure I jotted a few people down that I didn't want to forget," he said.

"It might have looked a little bit silly, but I made sure I tried to get everyone. I wanted to make sure I thanked Mum and Dad, which normally I'm terrible and I forget those things."

Nic Naitanui hopes to emulate his mentor Dean Cox's ability to rise to the occasion in big finals.

"All the big-name players play well in September and that's what they're remembered for. I'm sure every player would want to be remembered for that," Naitanui said.

"You take a leaf out of guys like Coxy's book. He steps up week-in, week-out, but those bigger games, where he and Daniel Kerr and Darren Glass go to that next level, that is something we look to and try to take a bit out of."

Sam Jacobs makes a point of studying Dean Cox's ruckwork and the first 50 games of his career compare favourably to the five-time All Australian .

"He is one bloke who I do watch a lot of," Jacobs said.

"I try to watch his game almost every week and I do take a lot from how Cox plays and you probably can say I do model my game on him a little bit.

"Possession rate is something I wanted to build this year as well, try to get it up a little bit higher."

Dean Cox has revealed how he battled to learn to become more defensive as a senior player for the Eagles in 2010.

"In 2010 we had some teething problems where players, especially like myself - a senior player who had played a particular way for a long time - took a lot longer to adjust than a young kid that you could shape in the early part of his career," Cox told 3AW radio.

"Once we bought into that and really understood that it works that is when you saw a sharp improvement last year."

Dean Cox has extended his contract with West Coast for a further two years.

"It's great to have the contract signed at this stage of the season," Cox said.

"I'm excited about the future and want to be a part of what this club is building towards. We are getting closer to another serious finals assault and I want to be a part of that with this playing squad."

West Coast ruckman Dean Cox has played down trade rumours saying he wants to play with the Eagles next year.

"If body permits and my form warrants it I'll get another contract at the end of next year," Cox said.

"I just can't wait to finish the year, sit down with the match committee and start pre-season. Then the trade week finishes and beautiful, everyone will realise, 'He wasn't leaving'. "

Eagle ruckman Dean Cox says the game's increasing speed has meant less one-on-one battles in the midfield.

"I think with the rotations now you don't really see the great one-on-one battles any more, especially through the midfield," said Cox.

"The players getting tagged are trying to get off and create and get some space or lose an opponent. They may go to half-forward to try and remove a tag."

Emerging ruck talent Nic Naitanui says he anticipates a diminished role when Dean Cox returns to full fitness.

"I don't know if Coxy likes it on the bench too much but I'm sure it will change around soon," Naitanui said.

"I will either start on the bench or up forward when he's up and going at full flight. If we can get both of us on the field at the same time we can have a bit more of an impact."

Sydney Swans ruckman Mark Seaby says after years of whippings on the training track against Dean Cox he is looking for revenge when his new side takes on the Eagles at the SCG.

"I've never really taken on Dean in a full-on contest so I think it's a challenge I've been looking forward to for a while," Seaby said.

"I've learned a lot from Dean. Training against him is probably where I've learned my most and hopefully I've learned a few new tricks I can try."

West Coast could be fined if the AFL determines its use of a mobile phone at three-quarter time to be a breach of match-day rules.

Ruckman Nic Naitanui and Dean Cox were seen using a mobile phone and are believed to have been receiving advice from ruck coach Simon Eastaugh.

We have all other sorts of communication," Eagles coach John Worsfold said.

"We can have it from a coach's box to a player on the ground, so we're assuming there is no difference."

John Worsfold says ruckman Dean Cox is aware of his form slump in the first two rounds of 2010 and does not need a spur from the coach.

"He knows where he's at and you can see in his body language that he's disappointed with the way he's performed in the first two rounds", Worsfold said.

"And I don't really need to tell him that for us to be winning games we need him performing at his best - that's expected of every player. He's determined to play better. Even with his current fitness level it's no excuse not to impact the game when he's on the field."

West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett says Nic Naitanui and Dean Cox will be a formidable ruck combination for the Eagles in 2010 under coach John Worsfold.

"John's made it clear already that both Dean and Nic will spend a lot of time in the forward line when the other is on the ball," Nisbett said.

"There's no doubt they will both be sharing the workload. John's said that, and that is the great value in having both of them."

A pre-Christmas abdominal strain may keep ruckman Dean Cox out of West Coast's NAB Cup match against Essendon.

West Coast ruckman Dean Cox appears well over his groin troubles as the Eagles begin pre-season training.

West Coast champion tall Dean Cox will not return to the field in 2009 after having decided to take a conversative approach towards rehabilitating his groin injury.

"There was just no point trying to push through for the sake of possibly one game," Cox said.

"We have taken a conservative approach with this program and that is certainly the way to go."

West Coast coach John Worsfold says stars Daniel Kerr and Dean Cox will probably not play again this season due to injury.

"When the season finishes we can't stop them from doing anything and think we've fixed the problem," Worsfold said.

"We need to make sure we have. So that means getting them up to a point where they could play. That's a gradual build-up.

"And from there we hope we know we've fixed the problem and then they can have their break and prepare for the pre-season."

Dean Cox and Daniel Kerr will spend at least the next fortnight on the sidelines as the Eagles attempt to diagnose their mystery injuries.

The duo will visit a specialist in Adelaide this week in a bid to get the bottom of their complaints, which West Coast medical staff believe are groin related.

"Both players are going to fly to Adelaide with the team on Friday to see a specialist ... just for another opinion on what he thinks may be happening, so that's the next step," Eagles coach John Worsfold said.

"The issue is the soreness they've got came on reasonably suddenly but it hasn't gone suddenly, that's the concern."

Eagles ruckman and regular All-Australian Dean Cox could miss the rest of 2009 due to a debilitating groin injury.

"That's a medical decision really so we'll get their advice on all that," Eagles coach John Worsfold said.

"His groin got sore so we really limited his ruck work and ground time, specifically in the second half.

"We now have to reassess where it's at.

"The fact it got sore so quickly is disappointing and we have to work out what the best program is for him."

West Coast assistant coach Daniel Metropolis says onballer Daniel Kerr and ruckman Dean Cox could have played this weekend, but the club is pursuing a safety-first policy.

Cox has a groin injury and Kerr is suffering from general soreness and neither player made the trip to freezing Melbourne for Saturday afternoon's clash with the Demons.

"Coxy still just pulled up a little bit sore on Thursday after training. He wanted to play, but we thought it was best that if he's not quite right we'd give him another week to settle down," Metropolis said.

"Kerry's just been a bit sore over the last few weeks. Again we thought he could play, but it was in his best interests to get himself right and get him up and going for the latter part of the year.

"So they should only be another week away."

Dean Cox could spend a second straight game on the sidelines with a groin injury.

Eagles coach John Worsfold says ruckman Dean Cox is expected to be fit for this week, but needs to prove himself at training.

"We're confident that he'll get up," Worsfold said.

"It was a very minor strain and one that we would expect would have healed by now, (but) you're always just making sure that there's nothing else other than that as well.

"There's no caution taken into account. If he's fit he'll play."

Dean Cox will not face reigning premiers Hawthorn in Subiaco due to a groin injury.

West Coast ruckman Dean Cox has a groin complaint and is likely to miss this weekend against Hawthorn.

Nic Naitanui has had his first taste of AFL action but is set to receive an even bigger slice of the pie against Hawthorn on Saturday night.

With four-time All-Australian ruckman Dean Cox struggling to overcome a groin complaint, Naitanui could be thrust into the lead ruck role against the Hawks in just his second game.

Besieged West Coast rover Daniel Kerr is in urgent need of reinforcements around stoppages and champion ruckman Dean Cox wants teammates to protect Kerr as the Eagles' most important play initiator.

"We've got to make sure our best playmakers are free," Cox says.

"He's going to be tagged and held on to, but if we can just free him up a bit more it is good for our side to get him back to running with the ball, clearing the footy.

"If 'Kerry' is getting held on to and we can free him up, we're going to be a better side and Daniel will be playing the best footy he can for us.

"So we've got to make it more difficult for his tagger to stop him getting a good run at the football."

John Worsfold has backed star pair Dean Cox and Daniel Kerr as they struggle with form and discipline.

"Some of the goals he set up from stoppages, winning the ball and getting it out while under a full tackle were outstanding," Worsfold said of Kerr.

"As our side improves, he'll then win some of the easy possessions as well. But at the moment he is having to knuckle down and get in for the team and do the real hard grunt work."

Cox on the other hand has been criticised for not working hard enough.

"I'm not really sure where all of this is coming from," Worsfold said of the criticism.

"Because some of the people that are criticising him were also comparing him to Polly Farmer eight months ago, so something drastic has happened - I'm not sure what, but it's just a bit of a whim from some people to talk about that."

West Coast ruckman Dean Cox says the young Eagles team will take time to develop, but has laid the blame for their poor season as the feet of the experienced players.

"Certainly a lot of senior players were to blame - everyone goes 'it must be the younger players' but the senior players need to take an ownership in obviously leading this football club," he said.

"We need to make sure when we have the footy in our hands we execute the way we want to and try and drag the kids along with us."

Saturday night's clash between Eagle Dean Cox and Swan Darren Jolly will pit two of the game's in-form ruckmen.

"He is the elite ruckman in the competition and I think everyone wants to have a go at him," Jolly said of Cox.

"Dean is obviously an elite ruckman and I'd class him as a midfielder as well. He's got a huge engine, a huge tank. It's a big effort to try and run with him and it's something I'll try and counter this week.

"I enjoy the challenge of trying to go out there and beat him, but so far, I think he's beaten me every single time, so I'm really looking forward to Saturday."

Port Adelaide plans to shark Dean Cox's hit-outs after Dean Brogan was suspended for Sunday's match at Subiaco.

Dean Cox is a certain starter for Round 1 despite nursing a fractured cheekbone.

West Coast's Daniel Kerr could join Dean Cox and Andrew Embley on the sidelines for Saturday's western derby clash with Fremantle.

Dean Cox signs with the Eagles for a further four years with the deal making Cox one of the highest paid players in the AFL while meaning that the ruckman will most likely finish his career at West Coast.

"I'm very delighted. The position the club's in at the minute is a very exciting time, with a new young group, and I'm just glad to be a part of it, and be part of it for another four years," he said.

"I was rapt when I was drafted to West Coast, and rapt to end my career here as well. I'm just delighted to be here, hopefully until I retire."

Dean Cox and Tyson Stenglein are named as Eagles vice-captains to recently appointed skipper Darren Glass with Ashley Hansen, Adam Selwood and Matthew Priddis rounding out the West Coast leadership team.

The leadership group was selected based on votes by the Eagles players. Current vice-captain Andrew Embley was elected not to remain in the leadership group.

Eagles coach John Worsfold said that Embley would still provide leadership to the team while not in an official capacity.

"He possesses certain leadership qualities that we may not have included in the ones that we got the players to vote on," Worsfold said of Embley.

"I'll go through with him the areas in the votes where he was lower in our criteria that he could be higher."