It’s that durability that allows him to make his 277th AFL appearance at Simonds Stadium on Saturday when West Coast takes on Geelong. It’s the start of his 14th year at the top level, which means Cox has averaged more than 20 games a season since he debuted in round two of the 2001 season against Sydney. He says luck has played a part in his achievement, but anyone who has met him knows there is more to it. “Certainly I have spent a lot of time making sure I recover as best I possibly can. But, yeah, I think footy players need a lot of luck along the way as well,” he said. “I think I have had my fair share – and probably the injuries I have had have been the injuries I have been able to manage, or can still play with. I think a lot of players certainly go through that. “The severity of a lot of the injuries hasn't been enough to keep me out for sustained weeks or for big parts of years.”

He also believes that sports science and the club’s experience in handling travel have helped him get to Jakovich’s record mark so quickly. “I suppose early on in the days, travelling every second week was a lot tougher,” he said. “The recovery, I suppose a lot of club's didn't know the demands on how to prepare players pre- and post-flights; whereas now recovery is a huge part of our focus.“ Cox says that while his body continues to hold up to the rigours of AFL, he’ll entertain the thought of playing on in 2015. But he’s in no hurry to make up his mind on that. So far in 2014 he has not shown any signs that he won’t be able to go on. He’s averaging more than 15 touches and 27 hitouts a game – and continues to show the agility that must have him high on the list of best AFL ruckmen. “I think they way I'm going at the minute; the way the body is; if I maintain that then I'd love to continue to play,” he said. “So that's always been my thought process, behind all of it is let's see how I can play.

“If I can still play good football this year, and my body allows me to, then next year will be an option, too.” While Jakovich limped across the line in his 12th season with the Eagles, that certainly isn’t the case with Cox, who continues to have an impact on the outcome of games. And having a fit Nic Naitanui and support from Callum Sinclair will go a long way to seeing him go around again. But when time is finally called on Cox’s career, he intends to stay involved in football. He has already taken on a ruck coaching role with the club this season and is taking other measures to ensure he can continue in the AFL system straight after retiring.

“The last few years I've really started to enjoy the role of trying to educate and teach players, and let them have the opportunity to have some great football memories that I've had,” he said. “To work with the ruck guys and even a lot of younger players when they first come to the club – to try to fast-track and get their development as quickly as possible so they can have an impact – is really rewarding. “The ruck stuff is certainly happening at the minute. But when I do finish I will stay straight in the AFL system and hopefully sink my teeth right into it. “There's not too many positions that are available to be a senior coach. And there's still so much to learn. Whether it is development coach or assisting, I want to be a coach for a sustained period of time, so I'll take my time and learn as much as I can to get there.” Cox has a lot to offer a young footballer.

When he was first drafted at No. 28 in the 2000 rookie draft, he was a long way off an AFL debut. He still had to fight his way into the league side of his WAFL club East Perth, then had to bide his time before getting an opportunity at the elite level with the Eagles. He weighed only 87 kilograms “dripping wet” and Michael Gardiner had a strong hold on the No. 1 ruck role. But he was quickly elevated to the senior list and hasn’t looked back, playing 17 games in his debut season. “It's been an unbelievable journey,” he said. “When I first got to the footy club it was a matter of, I've got to try and get on a list, and then it was now I've got to try and get on the senior list and then play my first game.

“I wasn't ready. I was under no illusions that at the time I wasn't good enough to play AFL footy. “I was very raw. I still had so many areas I needed to work on. In the first couple of years I was playing under Gardy, and playing 40 or 50 per cent of the game time, more as a relief to him. “And that's when you really start to learn the craft, playing against [Matthew] Primus, Steven King, Luke Darcy … some big bodies. They gave you a lot of lessons. “That's how I looked at it from very early in my career. I thought ‘well they're teaching me technique now, they're teaching me how to use their body to put their opponent into positions they don't want to be in’. “So when my strength and everything did develop, I'd learnt from an early age the correct technique.

“And now 106 kilograms or something, I think that certainly allows you to try to use the nous you've learnt, but also a little bit more body weight does help.” Last week he also broke former St Kilda forward Stephen Milne’s mark for playing the most games by a player who started their career as a rookie. And while his achievements are celebrated by club and fans, Cox takes his accolades in his stride. “So 300, if it happens it happens, who knows? But it's not a focus point of mine,” he said. “It's a lot of games. I suppose getting to Jako's record wasn't a massive goal, but I'm proud of, so far, what I've done in my footy career, to be able to represent this great club so many times.”