New Swans coach Dean Cox in huge call on Chad Warner amid fears about AFL exit from Sydney
Cox has a huge task convincing Warner his long-term future lies in Sydney.
New Sydney Swans coach Dean Cox admits that extending the contract of Chad Warner is a top priority for the AFL club, amid fears the midfielder could seek a return back to his home state of Western Australia. Cox officially succeeded John Longmire as Sydney's new coach this week after the long-time Swans mentor agreed to step back into an executive director role in charge of club performance
And one of the first major tasks that Cox faces will be to convince Warner that his future lies in Sydney and not back in his home state of WA. Warner was drafted by the Swans out of East Fremantle with Pick 39 in 2019 and has come on in leaps and bounds with Sydney in the ensuing years, with the 23-year-old one of the club's standout performers this year as they marched into the grand final.
Warner is off contract after the 2025 season and speculation has been ramping up recently that he could look to seek a move back to his home state, despite expressing excitement about playing for Sydney again next season. “I can’t wait to be back next year,” Warner said at the club’s best and fairest, without making any mention about his future beyond 2025.
Speaking to SEN radio on Wednesday after officially being unveiled as the Swans' next head coach, Cox says he has an excellent relationship with Warner and hopes they can re-sign the All Australian midfielder "as soon as possible". Cox told SEN WA’s The Run Home: “Any time that a player is out of contract of the calibre of Chad there’s always going to be dialogue and conversation around it.
“For us it’s about trying to make sure that Chad is as happy as he possibly can be, which he is. He’s playing the football that we demand as a footy club. hen from there whatever takes place. We’ll speak to Chad throughout the process to make sure that hopefully can get it done as soon as possible. I’ve got a good relationship with Chad, hopefully we can get that work done and dusted and move forward.”
Cox also told SEN 1170 that after Sydney locked down the futures of other stars such as Logan McDonald, Will Hayward and Ollie Florent this year, it was the club's mission to get a deal done for Warner now. “Chad is at the top of our priority now. He’s an amazing footballer, one I’ve got a really strong relationship with," Cox said. “He’s really enjoying his time in Sydney. That’s the role of our footy club and myself now, to try and make sure we can get Chad locked away as quickly as possible and create the environment he wants to be a part of going forward.”
Warner finished third at Sydney's best and fairest awards for 2024 behind Bob Skilton Medal winner Isaac Heeney and runner-up, Errol Gulden. The midfield tyro booted 35 goals and accumulated a whopping 587 touches in a stellar year for the Swans, who dominated the AFL regular season to finish top but were well beaten by the Brisbane Lions in the grand final.
Dean Cox takes over as Swans head coach from John Longmire
That defeat was Longmire's fourth in five grand finals appearances as Sydney coach, with his sole premiership success coming against Hawthorn in 2012 at the first time of asking. Longmire's unfortunate grand final record should not take away from the former coach's incredible reign of success in Sydney, where the Swans only failed to make the finals in two out of his 14 seasons in charge.
For the past 18 months, Longmire pondered retiring at the end of either 2024 or 2025 but did not officially inform the club of his decision until last week. Cox - who has been assistant to Longmire since 2017 - says he had been in constant discussions with the former coach and was excited to build on his legacy of sustained success at the club.
"We've sort of stayed in constant dialogue all the way through. The possibility arose and I'm really excited about it," Cox said. "One thing that I'm extremely proud of this organisation, is the sustainability of performing to the highest level...
"Our players produced some amazing football this year and that's something that we're extremely proud of. There'll be some little tweaks that I do differently from John but overall, it's a well-run footy program. It has been for a long time and we'll make sure that we give the players the best chance that they can continually perform."
with agencies
