Jamie Cox

The Heart of it: A distinctly Tasmanian conversation

With more than 18-thousand first-class runs, former Tasmanian captain Jamie Cox is a revered figure in cricket and widely considered as desperately unlucky to have never played in Tests for Australia. What is less known about the Wynyard product, is that he was once an Essendon footballer – despite being completely oblivious to the fact. In 1987, a young Cox was drafted by the Bombers, initially without his knowledge, but he was too focused on his blossoming cricket career to take the club’s offer seriously. It’s something, to this day, he still regrets. But Cox did get his taste of the AFL becoming a senior administrator at St. Kilda and was a significant figure in the club’s entry into the AFLW. This followed a management stint at the South Australian Cricket Association, where he witnessed the board-table brawls over the return of football to Adelaide Oval and the controversial stadium redevelopment.