The 25-year-old’s high regard at UTAS Stadium is unquestionable. 

He’s long been Whitford’s vice-captain and is one of four Northern Bombers to play in the past four State League grand finals. 

An eight-goal effort with a dodgy groin in North’s 87-point drubbing of Lauderdale in last year’s decider earned him not only his third premiership medallion and the Darrel Baldock Medal, but it capped off a stellar season in which he won the league’s best and fairest.

And Cox-Goodyer is hungry for more after officially being anointed captain on Friday night with Jack Avent to be his deputy.

“You definitely don’t lose that drive – once you taste it, you want to keep tasting it,” he said.

“Taylor has done a great job over the years as captain but now he’s stepped up so someone needs to step up into his role, and hopefully I can be half the captain he was.

“I’m going to have a lot of great leaders around me so it won’t be an issue if I’m struggling with something.”

Making up the leadership group will be stalwarts Mark Walsh, Jay Foon, Jake Pearce, Josh Ponting and rising star Arion Richter-Salter.

Cox-Goodyer praised Richter-Salter, 19, for leading by example this pre-season.

“I prefer to be a leader of actions, everyone can talk, but as long as I can continue to lead the way on the field with my action is probably more important to me than being someone that can talk but not back it up,” Cox-Goodyer said.

“It’s still the same game plan and everyone is really excited, especially with everyone being really good mates with Taylor. We want to help him succeed as a coach – that’s probably a driving force for a lot of blokes.

“There are also a lot of guys that have come up from under 16s that will be pressing for senior selection that a lot of people wouldn’t have even heard of.

“The depth of the club is probably the best it’s ever been, so we know that if we get a couple of injuries that there are blokes on the sidelines that can easily step up.”

And in an ominous warning to the rest of the competition, Cox-Goodyer said he is the fittest he has ever been.

“I'm running personal best times as my number one preference is to play on ball, because that’s where it starts and the game is won,” he said.

“I was pretty disappointed that I had to go forward in the granny, but I don’t mind pitch-hitting forward.”

Nathan Jackson his taken on North’s development league captaincy with the support of Jaiden Harris, while Luther Cronely will head the club’s under 18s.