Fremantle Defender Brennan Cox has given a fascinating insight into how becoming a first-time father eased the stress of his long rehabilitation process after tearing his hamstring tendon in round one.

Cox made an impressive return as part of Fremantle’s stingy defence that only conceded seven majors to the Tigers on a night that saw the home team prevail 51-point winners in tough conditions.

The 25-year-old key defender gathered 14 disposals, seven marks and played 84% time on-ground in his return game.

Speaking in his Monday afternoon media conference, Cox detailed the significant impact that becoming a father had on his recovery process.

“Being a first-time father made it pretty exciting and made it a bit easier,” Cox said.

“I was able to take my mind off things because it does get a bit gloomy in rehab, so I tried to stay pretty positive.

“Having Oscar McDonald and Josh Corbett who have done long stints there (rehab), it really put my hammy into perspective - being able to get back and play this year."

Fremantle were equal first for the lowest score against (54) for the round, and sit second overall for the season as the hardest team to score against, giving up a measly 73.5 points on average per game.

“I’m really excited to be part of the backline,” Cox said.

“Hughey (Hugh Davies) and Drapes (Joshua Draper) have been amazing since coming in and it’s been good to have them in the side to get some experience.

“With Moose (Alex Pearce) coming in it will be exciting to get that full-strength backline which we haven’t had as of yet.

Cox was sure to note that despite an impressive return performance, the key defender would continue to build his game as the push for finals heats up, and even joked that the upcoming trip to Tasmania would be a good chance to catch up on sleep.

“As games go on I'll gain more confidence and hopefully be at full confidence in the coming weeks,” Cox said.

“There is an excitement about how we are playing at the moment, and we are really confident in our brand, but the top eight is really close.

“Two losses and you are pretty much back out the eight so we are just taking it week by week, trusting our process, playing each game on its merits and coming in with the right attitude so we can hopefully keep winning.

“I’m feeling good, hopefully I'll get a good night’s sleep over in Tasmania."