Hearing Dean talk, it is hard to distinguish if he's down to earth approach is a result of growing up in outback Dampier, WA or simply being from the old school. “For me moving to Perth at 17, footy was about bus trips up the coast, beers with the boys and having fun”, admitting he might have done that too much during his early years. Regardless, this is something he still believes into this day while coaching at the Swans. “It’s about building culture. Young players coming from far away such as myself, it’s important to have the team as a second family for those players; so they feel welcome, they are supported and kept out of trouble”. He adds that if you tell a player not to do something they are going to do it anyway so it’s about building that relationship and managing them in the best way; not creating a divide.

Some players might try to stretch out every last year of playing but for some, it can happen overnight. For Dean, all it took was a very slight decrease in performance in his second last year for him to question himself. “I thought that if I had a decent career, I didn’t want to get to the stage of being told he had to retire or play reserve grade” Cox states that he could retire when he did as he had a clear idea and path of what to do upon retiring, unlike some of his teammates.

Dean Cox might only be 6 years retired but there are a plethora of tips he discussed that has helped him post-retirement:

Maturity comes with time: early during his career, Cox admitted that “study wasn’t for me”. He is now doing a Masters of Coaching, aged 39.
Outside interests: “I had some business interests to keep me occupied away from footy as much as I could. (One business venture) The seafood restaurant didn’t last but taking your mind off and focusing on other things is important while playing”.
Use your network of being a professional athlete: “Being an AFL player, there will be many contacts and sponsors of the club that will be happy to give advice and help. It’s not about just getting their business card but just form a relationship with them and things will come”
Do not waste the opportunities given to you: “Most kids have to decide their whole life and career from school at age 15-16. Players have so many opportunities plus the luxury of deciding that at an older age over a 5-10 year career – don’t waste that time….you’ve got 40 years of work after footy!”
Be confident and back yourself: “There are a lot of similarities between a footy club and a business with the challenges they have and the environment of working as a team”

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