West Coast Eagles ruckman Dean Cox has announced he will retire at the end of the season.
The 33-year-old veteran of 285 games – a club record – announced at midday on Monday that would join his good friend and former captain Darren Glass in retirement.
The six-time All Australian was taken in the 2001 rookie draft and made his debut for the club in round two, 2001.
Fittingly, that game was against the Sydney Swans, the team responsible for one of the Eagles’ great rivalries.
Initially overshadowed by Michael Gardiner, Cox came into his own in the 2004 season when Gardiner went down with a season-ending knee injury.
From that point on, Cox was the dominant ruckman in the league. He covered the ground like a midfielder, racking up possessions and his disposal by foot for a 203-centimetre man was unparalleled.
He was instrumental in two grand final campaigns, coming back from a broken collarbone to dominate Darren Jolly in the 2006 West Coast flag win.
He returned from an injury-ravaged 2009 campaign to take All-Australian honours yet again in 2011 and 2012 but the writing was on the wall when he was left out of the Eagles side for three games this year.
His list of accolades includes a Simpson Medal for East Perth in 2000, an Eagles Best Clubman award in 2006, a best and fairest for the Eagles in 2008 and a premiership medallion.
Cox's retirement leaves Sam Butler and Beau Waters as the only remaining members of the West Coast Eagles 2006 premiership team still playing.
