Dean Cox was never going to return to coach struggling West Coast when he knew Sydney Swans job was so close

West Coast never stood a chance of getting Dean Cox to be their senior coach. Just four months after turning his back on the chance to return to WA and coach a struggling West Coast team, Cox is now in charge of the Sydney Swans. And it’s clear that he always knew it was only a matter of time before the job would be offered to him. Cox remained steadfast that there was no succession plan documented - but the nudge and wink clearly provided him with confidence that his time would come sooner rather than later. John Longmire revealed that he’d advised the Swans when he signed his latest contract in 2023 that it was likely to be his last. The Swans started grooming Cox from there. During his press conference, Cox talked about having increased responsibilities for off-season planning both leading into 2024 and since the end of the season. His apprenticeship was rising to another level. Longmire also admitted that he’d been struggling to find the energy required to coach the team midway through this year. That was despite the team being 12-1 at one point. The Swans were 14-3 when Cox told the Eagles he would be staying in Sydney. West Coast was 3-14. Most coaches get handed basketcases. They join a club that has experienced turmoil on and off the field, and the new coach is responsible for re-building everything. Thirteen of the current coaches were appointed to a club that had finished in the bottom six. Cox is taking over a club that has played in two of the last three grand finals, and he’s got a four-year contract. The premiership ruckman will take over a group that he knows well, and he won’t have to move suburbs, let alone move states. He’ll be a fresh voice for a team that has had the mental torture of being thrashed in their last two grand finals. Cox will face pressure to maintain the lofty standards, but that’s a different type of pressure to just trying to win some games like most first-time coaches. The Swans are stable, successful, have great facilities and a powerful team. They are a dream for any new coach. Longmire’s decision to stand down is a reminder of just how difficult it is to be an AFL coach. He’s the Sydney/South Melbourne games record holder for coaching with 333 games. Only 25 men have coached 300 VFL/AFL games. Longmire’s 62.91% winning record ranks him sixth in that group behind only Chris Scott, Dick Reynolds, Jock McHale, Tom Hafey, Frank ‘Checker’ Hughes. Only Scott is from the draft and salary cap era. Yet despite one flag from five grand finals, Longmire has walked away. Many would have pushed on and hoped the energy returned. Longmire will remain with the club as Executive Director – Club Performance. But expect other clubs to start plotting how to convince him to join them. Footy moves quickly though. Cox is now the coach and his dream has come true. It was only a matter of time before it happened.