Swans coach Dean Cox responds to criticism after record 90-point loss to Adelaide Crows, talks Jamarra Ugle-Hagan links

Dean Cox has been quizzed on Sydney’s interest in Jamarra Ugle-Hagan amid links to the Western Bulldogs forward. Plus, his message for the critics as the Swans’ season slips away.

Swans coach Dean Cox has stated the club has yet to have any discussions around trying to bring Jamarra Ugle-Hagan to Sydney as the key forward begins to hint at an AFL return.

Ugle-Hagan is yet to play for the Western Bulldogs this season, taking a leave of absence earlier this year to work through personal issues. As part of his break from the sport, the 23-year-old has spent time at a health retreat in northern NSW.

He also signalled his intent to make an AFL comeback by posting a training montage to his social media this week, while also responding “coming” to a comment asking him to return to football.

The latest developments coincide with reports linking Ugle-Hagan with a move to Sydney, including suggestions that he has made clear he wants to play for the Swans.

While Cox was happy to concede they regularly have conversations about how they can improve their team, he put a line through the notion that any discussions had occurred around Ugle-Hagan, given he is still contracted to the Bulldogs.

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has been linked with Sydney.

“I’ve had a bit of time thinking about some other things at the minute,” Cox said of the reports.

“One thing I say to Chris Keane, our list manager, is we have to explore every person that is in the AFL, VFL, WAFL, SANFL to become the best team we possibly can. That’s my brief to them, to get as many talented players as we can within these four walls.

“Have we spoken about Jamarra? No. To be honest, list management continues to go the way it does.

“We don’t talk about players from other clubs. They’re in contract. That’s for Jamarra and the Bulldogs to deal with.

“We’ve got to make sure our list improves and we’re always looking to do that no matter what year it is.”

The forward line is clearly somewhere Cox will be looking for improvement over the off-season, but with Joel Amartey, Logan McDonald and Hayden McLean all signed on for at least another season, the key will be getting them all back on the field. When they were fit in 2024, they were part of a Swans side that had the number-one attack in the competition.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge also dismissed the links between Ugle-Hagan and the Swans earlier in the week, firmly stating that the former number-one draft pick remains “our player”.

COX HITS BACK AS PRESSURE MOUNTS AMID SEASON SLIDE

Dean Cox remains steadfast in his belief that his system will eventually succeed at the Swans, as he responded to criticism over his side’s disappointing start to the season.

The Swans currently sit 4-8, and although they have been heavily impacted by injuries throughout the year, it’s a far cry from 12 months earlier when they were flying on the way to the minor premiership.

Their campaign hit a new low last weekend after their 90-point defeat to Adelaide, their biggest loss at the SCG this century.

When Cox took over from John Longmire just before pre-season, he signalled that he was set to make several changes both to the team structure and strategy.

Tweaks like moving defender Tom McCartin into the forward line – even though it was out of necessity with injuries to his other key forwards – haven’t quite paid off and have drawn heavy scrutiny. However, Cox defended his changes and believes he wouldn’t have done anything differently over the past eight months.

Cox remains confident that the changes he’s made to the Swans’ system will eventually pay off. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“There’s a lot of variables that go into a decision,” Cox said. “Would I change it? No, not at all. Do I learn from it? Yeah.

“How you handle those situations is probably one thing. The way we want to play, would I change that? No. I’m pretty fixed on the way we want to play. We’ll move when we need to, but the first thing I want to do is build a really strong foundation. That will take time, but when it comes, we’ll see the difference from that.

“When I got in the position I understood what a head coaching role entails… if you’re not performing well, you’re open to everything. That’s the nature of the game.

“One thing you do have to do is make sure you stick to your process… you’ve got to realign yourself with where you want to get to and stay on that course.”

As the Swans search for an immediate response this Saturday when they take on Richmond at the MCG, it was the club’s leadership group that took charge in their early sessions.

While Cox took plenty of accountability following the Crows’ loss, it was the leaders who implemented the Sunday morning beach session, as well as creating a plan for the rest of the training week.

Swans captain Callum Mills is set to return this week from suspension as Sydney’s leaders took more responsibility during the week. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The Sydney coach was strong post-match that there would be some tough sessions awaiting his players, and while he only made small tweaks to their routine, he’s hopeful that it’s had the desired impact.

“We spoke at length with (the leaders) after the game about the standard, and what’s required… and the ability to get to work,” Cox said. “We’ve done that so far this week, but we understand that it’s a play that we need to maintain for a long period of time.

“As a footy club, when you perform like that, you can’t hide from it. So, we showed areas we need to improve on and that weren’t up to standard. The contest, pressure, effort and intensity all over the ground as well below par.

“We want to get our hands on it as much as we possibly can. But when we do, we’ve got to get something out of it. (The Crows) were a little bit more fierce when they did win that ball, so we’ve worked on that throughout the week. That isn’t a one-week fix. That’s something that we want to try and continually work on.

“I think when every club goes through a tough period, you want to see a response from everyone. So far, it’s saying that they will respond. But (we won’t know) until Saturday.”

Cox remains hopeful that Errol Gulden will return against Port Adelaide in round 15. Picture: Phil Hillyard

As Cox and the Swans struggle with the mental challenges in front of them, they are set to be boosted by some welcome inclusions in the coming weeks.

With a bye following their Richmond clash, Cox “hopes” Errol Gulden will return for their match with Port Adelaide in round 15. Tom Papley is on a similar timeline but is likely to be at least one week further behind.

Callum Mills also returns this week from suspension, Aaron Francis is set to make his comeback from concussion, while other players continue to get more managed minutes through the VFL.

It’s a rare positive sign in recent weeks that there might be light at the end of the tunnel. And although Cox hasn’t completely put the red line through the season, he concedes that there’s no value in looking ahead to finals in the short term.

“(Errol’s) still got a bit to tick off, but he’s progressing really well,” Cox said. “So that’s the first thing that makes you happy as a coach, they’re getting through what they have to.

“(Finals) is a long way away, we can’t look that far at all, but we’re just not in the position. All the time you try and focus on what’s right in front of you, we have to do that even more so now.”

Originally published as Swans coach Dean Cox responds to criticism after record 90-point loss to Adelaide Crows, talks Jamarra Ugle-Hagan links