The milestones and achievements of past and current players adorn the top of each locker in the Fremantle Dockers changeroom, however when Brennan Cox arrived at Fremantle in 2016, he noticed his locker to be conspicuously blank.
It’s why the defender was motivated not just break into the team in his debut season, but to become the first Fremantle Docker to play 100 games in the no.36.
On Saturday night in the RAC Derby, Cox will do just that when he runs out onto Optus Stadium, seven years after his debut game in round 12 of the 2017 season.
Cox admitted that it has been a long road to 100 games, only playing a full season in 2022 when he was named in the All Australian squad.
“When you walk into the AFL, you're probably thinking about just playing (one) game,” Cox said.
“Above our lockers, you've got everyone who played 100 games and my locker has no-one.
“When I walked through the doors, I said I want to be the first number 36 to play 100. It's taken a while to get here but I'm excited and ready to play it.”
Cox said the arrivals of Senior Coach Justin Longmuir in 2019 and Assistant Coach Matthew Boyd in 2020 were crucial for his development.
“JL has been enormous, he moved me to the backline when he first got here,” Cox said.
“And Boydy the defensive coach. I was probably a bit immature and lacked professionalism when he got to the Club. We really worked closely, he got my standards up to a level that helped me grow as a player and as a person as well.”
The round 23 RAC Derby, which is an ‘away’ game for Fremantle, features two teams looking to finish their disappointing 2023 seasons off strongly, and Cox predicts a high-intensity contest.
“I expect both teams are coming out firing,” Cox said.
“The derby is almost like a final for us and it will be that for them as well. I expect a hot contest and it will be a big game.”
Cox expects to go into the game without gun teammate Hayden Young by his side in the backline, with the 22-year-old showing his prowess in the midfield against Geelong and Brisbane.
“He's been real dominant since going into the midfield and we've been joking around in the backline that we've lost a soldier,” Cox said.
“It's great to see him go out there and dominate. I've noticed a lot this year that he's been wanting to get into the midfield and asking a lot of questions.
“To see him go out there and have the impact that he's had is really good.”
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