Performance / Wellbeing
Name
Georgina Dobson
Club
Geelong Grammar
Team
Schoolgirl 1st VIII+
Category
Performance / Wellbeing
Meet Georgina
In 2026, Georgina Dobson coxed the Geelong Grammar Women’s First Eight. Her crew won the APS Head of the River, took out the schoolgirl eight sprint at the Australian National Championships, and placed third in the U19 women’s eight at the same regatta. Twelve months earlier, Georgina was coxing the Geelong Grammar 4th boat.
The Challenge
Before using Cox Coach, Georgina had never been taught how to cox. “No one ever really told me how to improve as a cox,” she says. Her coach would occasionally listen to recordings with her, and she’d get feedback from her rowers, “but they never taught me how to cox properly.” All Georgina got was “bits and pieces of feedback. But I had to go and ask for it. If we were in a rush, there wasn’t time to ever get feedback on my coxing.”
“When I was coxing the 4th boat in Year 11. I didn’t know what a good cox was". When it came time to race “I’d just be saying things to fill space” Georgina says. “In a race, I was finding it really hard to think about what to say. There was so much going through my head.”
So, wanting to find a way to “benefit my boat, not just be someone who sits and yells”, Georgina reached out to learn more about Cox Coach.
How Cox Coach helped
Georgina started using Cox Coach in January. “It was really easy to use,” she says. “I liked how it was one lesson per week. It meant that I learnt something new each week. It usually took me between half an hour to an hour. I could always do half at one time and half at another.”
Her favourite module was the one on coaching bladework. It helped her understand “what to look for with technique as a cox. I liked how it gave examples and was specific. It meant that I could go into the boat and know exactly what to look for.”
She also leaned on the analysis journeys and the interactive feedback. “I liked listening to the recordings and understanding why they were making the calls. The interactive parts where you would get feedback was so helpful. And the cox scorecard was so cool to see as well.”
“There was a different thing to focus on each week, which made me feel like I was really improving with my coxing.”
Confidence
In Term 4 of Year 11, Georgina was already switching between the 1st and 2nd Eights. She started using Cox Coach over the holidays. By the time she returned, “I was constantly getting told that I’d improved since Term 4.”
“I was a lot more confident and I felt more like I really knew what I was saying. I was told that there was an improvement in my coxing.”
“Sometimes even for fun, we would listen to my recordings from Term 4 and I would realise how different my coxing was now.”
Her coach was clear with her: she was getting better, and more confident.
Understanding her role
The technical knowledge translated into something deeper. “I understood my role. I knew how to speak to individual members and form connections to the crew, and communicate better.”
“The rowers are always looking to you. They can always hear what you’re saying. You’re the rhythm that makes them move together. You’re not rowing as eight individuals, you’re rowing as one.”
The Impact
By the start of the 2026 season, Georgina had secured the seat in the women’s First Eight. She coxed Geelong Grammar to a win at the APS Head of the River, a first place in the schoolgirl eight sprint at the Australian National Championships, and a third place in the U19 women’s eight at the same regatta.
“I never really had someone appreciate the impact that coxes can have, and that’s why cox coach was really beneficial.”
“I would have loved to have this support throughout my whole coxing journey, including in the fourths. All boats, not just the firsts and seconds, should have access to improving.”
