Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
It sounds more like a premise for a novel or film.
Bitter on-field AFL rivals on one coast of Australia cross paths again, over a decade later and on the opposite side of the country, to run and regenerate a club together.
Somehow, West Coast legend Dean Cox and Fremantle champion Matthew Pavlich have done exactly that.
After 14 shared seasons as the defining icons of WA football in the 2000s and 2010s, after countless derby clashes and individual accolades amassed, Cox and Pavlich are now the brains trust at the Sydney Swans.
Cox is navigating his second campaign as coach, while Pavlich has just ticked over seven months as the club’s chief executive after a career in media and business.
Was it bizarre for Cox to get used to his former on-field rival as his boss?
“It was a little bit,” Cox told AAP with a laugh.
“He was always someone that I really admired, the way he played his footy, how he stood as a person, the leadership he showed at Fremantle.
“I was fortunate enough to be a small part of the process in getting him over here.
“Now it’s about both of us trying to get the club to where we need to get it to.”
The uncanniness of their reunion has since worn off.
Sydney appear on target for a deep run in September, sitting second (12-2) behind Pavlich’s old club Fremantle (13-1).
The red-hot start comes as no surprise to Pavlich, who sees glimpses of Cox’s on-field excellence in the way he coaches.
“He was Max Gawn before Max Gawn came along in terms of being the pre-eminent ruckman of his era … a six-time All-Australian,” Pavlich, himself a six-time All-Australian, told AAP.
“The way that he would read the play was second to none, tremendous player and someone who I admired from afar.
“He was such a high-performing player and expects a lot of his players now, but he’s got a great sense of what matters at a football club – connection, family, community.
“We didn’t have a huge amount to do with each other, but we both came from a very mutual level of respect for one another.
“You know, we got to play with one another actually in the Hall of Fame game back in 2008.
“We had those small crumbs of connection, but it’s been great to reconnect.”
The two Australian Football Hall of Fame members have succeeded Sydney’s greatest servants in their respective roles, with Cox handed the keys by 2012 premiership mentor John Longmire at the end of 2024.
Cox navigated a tough injury crisis and finished 10th in his first campaign as coach, before welcoming much-needed additions to the coaches’ box – 2021 premiership coach Simon Goodwin and assistant Jeremy Laidler.
“If you look from last year to this year, I just feel a lot more prepared,” Cox said.
“We all had time, once the season finished, to really reflect and then plan how I wanted pre-season to look, how we wanted the season to look.
“Last year, we had the lightest coaching group out of anyone in the AFL and to get real clarity and spend the time on the areas that need to get spent (was harder), now you feel like everyone can do that.
“Right from as soon as the season finished, we haven’t wasted any time.”
Pavlich officially started his role in October, taking over from now-AFL chief operating officer Tom Harley.
With nearly 70 per cent of Sydney’s playing list hailing from interstate, Pavlich and Cox are well placed to provide counsel.
The Swans also boast a strong contingent of WA players- brothers Chad and Corey Warner, Logan McDonald and Angus Sheldrick.
“I understand that, as a former player who’s moved from South Australia to Western Australia to forge my career, you have that bond and strong connection with those (interstate) players,” Pavlich said.
“What ‘Coxy’ does well … is upholding the values of the Swans and the Bloods way for a long time, but equally innovating for the future.
“He’s been able to do both of those things. Maybe coming from the north-west of Western Australia, where there’s a lot of entrepreneurial types, perhaps there’s an element of that playing out.
“I’m certainly humble enough to know that I don’t have all the answers and I’ve still got lots to learn.”
The Swans are looking to move up a gear after their round-15 bye, kicking off a pivotal run home with a trip to the Gabba to take on the defending premiers.
Brisbane, sitting eighth (8-6), also enjoyed a bye weekend, and will be out to make amends for their 44-point loss to Sydney in round one.
