Sydney senior coach Dean Cox has addressed the uncertainty surrounding veteran defender and club co-captain Dane Rampe's playing future, as the 35-year-old remains without a contract for 2026.
Rampe has played a key role as a senior member of Sydney's backline in 2025, averaging 12.5 disposals at an elite 84 per cent efficiency, as well as 3.0 rebound 50s per game. However, his future beyond this season is unclear, with retirement potentially an option.
Cox couldn't confirm anything on Rampe's behalf but stated that the club legend has been enjoying his AFL footy as of late.
"We speak to Rampe regularly about how he's going and that's more about the short term," Cox told media on Thursday. "How's he going, how's his body, what training loads do we have to do, how are you pulling up from games?"
"We still know what Dane can do as a footballer, and that's really important, but from when you're 35, or the age that he's played at this football club for a long period of time, we'll continue having conversations and then we'll address at the end of the year what exactly that looks like.
"Both parties in everything need to be fully committed to go. We need to think your best is still good enough, and him going, 'I actually still have the real desperation to play AFL footy'. So far, he has said that, which is good news. But we'll work through that once the season settles."
Rampe, who has played in four AFL Grand Finals with the Swans, two of which as co-captain, will run out for his 269th AFL match this Saturday against Essendon, while star midfielder Errol Gulden will take the field for the 100th time.
"I think on the field, off the field, he does whatever he possibly can to be the best footballer," Cox said of Gulden. "His preparation for a young player is as good as I've seen. He works as hard as the best players do, and that's why he's had so many of those individual achievements in the first part.
"It's been a pretty special 100 and hopefully there's another special 100 [to come]."
