Sydney coach Dean Cox doesn't have to look too far for advice on how to guide the Swans through a turbulent patch.
Dealt a difficult hand in his first year as a senior coach, Cox says he's found an obvious sounding board in football department boss and former GWS coach Leon Cameron.
Succeeding John Longmire after a long apprenticeship last year, Cox has been forced to contend with an injury crisis on the back of a dismal grand-final loss.
Without stars Tom Papley (heel) and Errol Gulden (ankle), the 14th-placed Swans (4-8) are reeling from successive losses to Melbourne and Adelaide.
So dismal was their 90-point loss to the Crows that Cox slammed the performance as "unacceptable and embarrassing" post-match.
The 43-year-old was also critical of himself in the aftermath, questioning himself whether he had done enough.
Swans players were later called to a pre-dawn beach session just hours after the SCG match, a call made by the leadership group.
Mulling his plan of attack ahead of a clash with Richmond (3-9) at the MCG on Saturday, Cox says it makes sense to turn to Cameron.
The former Giants boss is no stranger to navigating rough seas, having guided Sydney's cross-town rivals to five finals appearances across 193 games from 2014 to 2022.
"Leon's here to run the footy department, not to coach. He's clear on that," Cox said on Thursday.
"But also having said that, if you've got an ex-senior coach that's running your footy program, I do ask questions of Leon - 'What would you do in this situation?'
"And he's open to give that advice. He's a really good sounding board, certainly as a boss, but also as someone who is your boss that's done your job."
The Swans travel to Melbourne amid ongoing speculation about on-field and off-field changes at the club.
Chief executive Tom Harley is reportedly among the favourites for the new role of chief operating officer (COO) at the AFL.
Fellow club bosses Ameet Bains (Western Bulldogs) and Simon Garlick (Fremantle) are also in the running.
"That's for Tom and the AFL to work through," Cox said.
"He's had a massive impact on this club, and you can see why the AFL are chasing him or wanting to talk to him about a position there because of how highly he's regarded."
Meanwhile, Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has been linked with a move to Sydney.
The former No.1 draft pick hasn't played a game this season and is on a leave of absence from Whitten Oval as he deals with personal issues.
Ugle-Hagan has recently spent time at a health retreat in northern NSW in an effort to get his life, and career, back on track.
But Cox said the club hadn't approached Ugle-Hagan, who is contracted at the Bulldogs until the end of 2026.
"Have we spoken about Jamarra? No," Cox said.
"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."
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge earlier this week declared Ugle-Hagan is "our player", saying he has no reason to believe the star forward will leave and is expecting the star forward to be at Whitten Oval.
