THE STARS aligned for Tasmania's inaugural captain Robbie Fox.
With his AFL career at Sydney over after nine years and 105 games, a return to his home state has coincided beautifully with the addition of the Devils to the VFL.
And, in just a week, he will lead the club out for its historic first game against Coburg, the side from which he was drafted in 2016.
"I played at Coburg 10 years ago," Fox told the State of Play podcast.
"The (Coburg) captain, Jesse (Corigliano) is a player that I played with back then, so it's quite nice. So, when I walk up in the middle of the ground for the handshake and the coin toss at the start of the game, (it will be) quite nice to see a familiar face."
Having moved from the north coast town of Penguin to Melbourne for his university studies, it was at Coburg City Oval that Fox was able to continue his footy at a high level - and ultimately led to him reaching the highest level.
"Coburg gave me a chance 12 years ago, and I was just a local kid at Aberfeldie who had a little bit of talent, but I wouldn't say it was the best ... and then Peter German took a chance on me and taught me and backed me in," Fox explained.
"And still, after my first year at Coburg, I probably wasn't where I needed to be. There were great leaders at the time and Daniel Venditti and Nathan Thomas and Nick Carnell - all these Coburg greats that put their arms around me and gave me a chance and got me a chance to play AFL. And that's what I want to do down at Tassie now, just seeing a lot of potential and a lot of good kids down there, you just want to put your arms around them and help them get there."
The excitement around Tasmania's addition to the VFL in preparation for a 2028 entry to the AFL has eased Fox's move out of his playing career at the top level, and into the next phase of life.
Delisted by Sydney at the end of 2025 after a frustrating and injury-plagued season where he failed to add to his games tally, Fox had a soft landing out of the AFL bubble when he landed a dual role at the Devils that sees him captaining the men's program on the field, and working for the club off it.
"The transition has been quite nice, actually. To be living back home and still playing football and being around a football club as well, it feels like the transition has been really smooth," Fox said.
"Being on one-year contracts my whole (AFL) career, I sort of always planned for this day. So, the day was always going to come, and I guess I was a bit prepared for it as well ... I was clearly disappointed that my AFL career came to an end, but I was 32 and that's the cycle of football.
"When I was 23 at Coburg, I was looking at players on lists who weren't getting a game (and) I was like, 'come on, get rid of them, give me a chance', and I was exactly this to someone. I was in the list management meeting with Leon (Cameron) and I was like 'this is actually beautiful'."
Leadership and guidance are priorities for Fox in his new role in Tasmania; creating opportunities for men and women from his home state and helping them to excel is front of mind.
"I'm not down there to get 100 touches and try to get drafted. That was never the plan. The plan is to move home with my family and be part of building this club. I'm working for the club, so I get to help build it off the field, but then on the field (we're) building a culture, building trademarks and values that we want to live by day to day," Fox said.
"And a lot of these players have so much talent. Looking back at it, when I was 19, 20, I had no idea what was going on and these kids are so much more advanced than me. I've been through the path, hopefully that can (add) a bit of credibility in what I'm saying. I've been in and out of teams, I've been in the VFL, been local, and I've known what's worked for me. I guess it's not going to work for everyone, but I can try and steal what's worked for me and see if that takes a liking to anyone."
Another point of pride for Fox is that Tasmania will be the first team in the League's history to have both its women's and men's programs enter at the same time.
Having seen the evolution of the AFLW in his time at Sydney, and observing the broader impact of the women's game over the past decade, Fox is enthusiastic about the Devils' 'one club' mentality.
"I think we're very privileged that we can (bring the women's and men's in together), and with any sort of privilege, there's responsibility as well. We're taking turns, our main sessions on a Wednesday night, the boys get it one night, and the girls get it the next week," Fox said.
"There's no hierarchy at the club, and we're led very well."
Above all, the move back home has meant something especially important to Fox and his family.
"Everything happens for a reason, and if you really believe it, then it takes out all anxiety and worries from most things as well," Fox said.
"And everything does happen for a reason, I think, because I'm here now and I'm really enjoying it, and I'll have our first kid in Tassie as well. So, he's a Tasmanian, not a New South Welshman. So, I'm quite happy about that.
"That's what I was more worried about: having 'Tasmanian' on his birth certificate."