Former West Coast champion Dean Cox is the Eagles’ games record-holder but will have his shoe on the other foot as the Swans look to topple them in Perth on Sunday. 

Cox was among a host of changes to Sydney’s coaching panel over the off-season when he signed on as midfield coach working alongside Brett Kirk.

Three-time Geelong Cats premiership winner and former Giant Steve Johnson joined the ranks as forwards coach, while former Swans players Tadhg Kennelly and Jeremy Laidler took hold of the NEAFL reins.

Rhyce Shaw led the NEAFL Swans to the grand final in 2017 as head coach and has assumed the role of backs coach at AFL level.

Vice-captain Luke Parker shared his insights on the impact former outsiders Cox and Johnson have had on Sydney earlier this week.

“We know we believe in our game plan and structures but we wanted to know how other teams perceived us and ways they try to win games against us,” Parker said on SEN.

“That was where we worked off what teams try to do to us and hopefully we can combat that with getting inside knowledge on where teams are coming from.

"For Dean and Steve it was about making us defend and not giving us the ball and not letting us attack.”

The Swans ruckmen under the tutelage of Cox are eyeing off a potential dual with Nic Naitanui on Sunday, who Cox worked in tandum with in the ruck at West Coast between 2009 and 2014.

Footy returns to the SCG on April 1! Make sure you have your tickets to be there LIVE in Round 2 as we take on Port Adelaide.

Johnson is meanwhile passing on his secrets as one of the most skilful small forwards of the modern era as the likes of Isaac Heeney and Tom Papley prepare for the trip west.

“We were pretty aware of most things Dean and Steve have come up with,” Parker said.

“The main thing they said was you can come up with something but if the Swans play the way they know they can play they can probably beat you anyway.

“For us we want to be the best defensive side in the competition and that’s what we will continue to work on.”

Cox played 290 games for West Coast between 2001 and 2014, while Johnson notched up 253 appearances for Geelong and 40 for Greater Western Sydney between 2002 and 2017.