Maintaining explosive midfielder Chad Warner at Sydney past subsequent season is new coach Dean Cox’s “high precedence”.
Whereas Cox has forecast solely “little tweaks” to his predecessor John Longmire’s teaching methods, he says engaging Warner to signal a contemporary contract is paramount.
The West Australian-born midfielder is already understood to have been courted by Perth golf equipment forward of popping out of contract on the finish of 2025.
“For us, it’s about attempting to be sure that Chad is as completely satisfied as he probably may be, which he’s,” Cox instructed SEN WA radio on Wednesday.
“We’ll converse to Chad all through the method to be sure that hopefully (we) can get it executed as quickly as doable.
“Chad is on the high of our precedence now.
“He’s a tremendous footballer, one I’ve bought a extremely robust relationship with, he’s actually having fun with his time in Sydney.
“That’s the function of our footy membership and myself now, to attempt and ensure we will get Chad locked away as shortly as doable and create the atmosphere he needs to be part of going ahead.”
Longmire formally stood down because the Swans’ senior coach on Tuesday after 14 seasons, 333 video games, 5 AFL grand-final appearances and one premiership.
The Swans had routinely denied a succession plan had been in place to exchange Longmire along with his long-time assistant Cox, who was solely supplied a four-year deal final Tuesday.
However Cox had all the time been aware of Longmire’s plans to resign on the finish of both the 2024 or 2025 season – aspirations held by Longmire for 18 months however solely revealed publicly at Tuesday’s press convention.
(Picture by Mark Kolbe/Getty Photos)
“We’ve type of stayed in fixed dialogue all through. The likelihood arose and I’m actually enthusiastic about it,” Cox stated on Tuesday.
An assistant to Longmire since 2017, Cox had lengthy been tipped as a senior coach in ready and most not too long ago repelled advances from former membership West Coast this season.
The 2006 premiership participant was the Eagles’ ruck coach for 3 years after his retirement in 2014.
Cox stated he wouldn’t have stop that job and relocated his younger household to Sydney had he not felt the transfer would someday result in a senior teaching alternative.
The Swans’ transition to Cox comes 14 years after Longmire changed outgoing premiership coach Paul Roos following his personal apprenticeship as an assistant.
Chairman Andrew Pridham joked at Tuesday’s press convention he would see Cox “in 14 years” – eluding to a different regeneration from throughout the membership.
The Swans have remained nearly perennially profitable since Roos took cost in 2002, making finals in 19 of 23 seasons.
Cox paid homage to that stability in eluding to his plans for subsequent season.
“One factor that I’m extraordinarily pleased with this organisation, is the sustainability of performing to the best degree,” he stated.
“Our gamers produced some superb soccer this 12 months and that’s one thing that we’re extraordinarily pleased with. There’ll be some little tweaks that I do in a different way from John however general, it’s a well-run footy program.
“It has been for a very long time and we’ll be sure that we give the gamers the perfect likelihood that they will frequently carry out.”
The six-time All-Australian performed 290 video games for West Coast, together with the 2006 premiership overcome the Swans.
“My taking part in profession ended and when it completed I used to be all about how can I attempt to assist gamers expertise what I skilled?” Cox stated.
“For me, it’s about attempting to be sure that they’ve an expertise that they play some actually good footy, they take pleasure in doing it collectively after which after they go away, hopefully their life is ready up that they will go onto the subsequent part.”