Nik Cox (centre) in action during an early pre-season running session.Credit:Getty Images
That personal experience and the disappointing finals exit has given Cox motivation as he enters his first pre-seasonsince he was pick eight in last year’s national draft,held in December due to COVID.
“We wanted to get back into it as soon as we[could]...[we] still have a bit of fire in the belly from that final that we lost,” Cox said.
Darcy Parish,Zach Reid,and new recruit Jake Kelly hit the training track for the start of pre-season.Credit:Getty Images
So early was the return,Cox did not have a chance to fix his hair before he was back at training,sporting blond locks he doubts any of his teammates will want to copy.
But the spindly utility wasn’t the main attraction at the training session held at ‘The Hangar’,with the Bombers’ new part-time development coach,former Richmond champion Alex Rance,making an appearance in his first AFL role since he made the shock decision to step away from the game just before Christmas in 2019.
Cox did not doubt the 32-year-old Tigers’ premiership defender could play if he wanted to,as he participated in drills,but the youngster’s excitement about Rance’s presence was restricted to what he might offer him as a coach.
“He was an incredible player during his career and it’s great to have him out on the track,” Cox said.