Australian Football

Berkley Cox commenced with Scottsdale as a nineteen year old in 1954 at a time when the club was the pre-eminent force in the NTFA. With Cox a major contributor, that pre-eminence was set to continue, with premierships in 1954 and 1956, supplemented by a state title in the former year.

Playing almost exclusively as a centreman, Cox was hard working and creative, and it was only a matter of time before he began attracting interest from the mainland. Carlton it was who won the race to procure his signature and he debuted with the Blues in 1958. His 102 game stint with the club included an appearance in the centre in the losing grand final clash of 1962 with Essendon. Often used in a more defensive role than had been the case with City/City-South he was every bit as effective, earning prominent mentions in dispatches on numerous occasions.

In 1966 Cox returned to Tasmania and lined up once more with City-South. The fact that he was still capable of producing excellent football was emphasised by his selection in the Tasmanian team for that year’s Hobart carnival. It proved to be a noteworthy return home as well because the Redlegs won the flag and backed it up by claiming the state premiership as well.

Berkley Cox continued with City-South until 1969, captain-coaching the side in his last couple of seasons, and retiring with 140 games for the club to his credit. He is a member of both the City/City-South official ‘Team of the Century’ and the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame.

Author - John Devaney