Better equipped: Dean Cox says Swans eye return to September action
dean cox says he feels better placed to guide the Swans back to finals as the club opens its season against Carlton on Thursday at the SCG, citing new on-field recruits and off-field coaching additions. He made the assessment on Wednesday (ET), pointing to both player trades and staffing moves that he believes improve the club’s position after a disrupted previous year. The coach framed the challenge simply: preseason expectations must now be turned into performance on the field.
Dean Cox: staffing surge and high-profile trades
Cox has bolstered his coaching group, welcoming Simon Goodwin as director of coaching and performance and bringing Jeremy Laidler back as an assistant. On the playing list, the headline acquisition is former Carlton forward Charlie Curnow, obtained in a trade that also sent Will Hayward and Ollie Florent away from the club. Cox pointed to those moves as evidence the club is both addressing short-term needs and reshaping for a stronger push this season.
“You feel better equipped because it’s your second year coaching, you understand what the role entails, ” Cox said on Wednesday (ET). “I’ve been really pleased not only with the acquisitions we have on the field (with players), but also what we’ve had off it. There are expectations from the whole pre-season, but we’ve got to action some of those expectations now. “
Selection dilemmas, debuts and injury list
The opening selection picture is complicated: former Hawthorn defender Jai Serong and former Gold Coast forward Malcolm Rosas jnr are set to make their club debuts on Thursday. Hayden McLean is unlikely to be selected, with Cox noting he will not need four tall forwards after Tom Papley returned from a calf strain. Braeden Campbell (shin) and Harry Cunningham (quad) are unavailable, while fringe midfielder Taylor Adams will return to play through the VFL as he completes his recovery from an Achilles tear.
Off the back of a dismal Grand Final defeat the previous year and an injury-ravaged campaign that left the club tenth, Cox’s group faces immediate pressure to convert preseason promise into wins. It was the first time since 2020 that the team missed out on a spot in September, a fact Cox and his staff have repeatedly referenced as motivation.
Immediate reactions and coach accountability
Cox made clear the responsibility lies with the playing group to do the work required. “To the playing group, it’s about understanding… we’ve got to get the work done now, ” he said on Wednesday (ET). He acknowledged the season will throw “bumps and different things you’ve got to deal with along the way” and pledged the coaching group will manage those challenges.
What’s next
The Swans take the field against Carlton on Thursday (ET) with several new faces and unanswered selection questions. Fans and club officials will track early returns from the coach-driven list changes, the impact of Charlie Curnow in lead-up minutes, and the recovery timelines for key players. Longer term, club performance across the opening rounds will test whether the additions off-field and the aggressive trade activity have delivered the improvement Cox expects.
As the season opens, dean cox has framed this year as an opportunity to act on preseason expectations and steer the Swans back toward September football.
