smasha
It's Time!
I have got blind drunk one night and slept under Jack Dyer's statue,sigh.
Player Watch #9: Trent Cotchin is an obscenely good 3 x Premiership Captain, Victorian Captain & Brownlow Medalist
- Thread starter ize_
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- Oct 25, 2006
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lucky the spirit of john raymond dyer the copper
didnt come down and give you a wallop with his night stick
- May 18, 2008
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Am I the only one who gets the words sanctum and scrotum mixed up?
wegetpumped
Norm Smith Medallist
Another legend hits a milestone grats tiger 
. PS I noticed a fair few whites flowing through on tv you can relax now your back in the center
. PS I noticed a fair few whites flowing through on tv you can relax now your back in the center
Tiger_Of_Old
THE_GUN:"Why don't you use your reg acc"7/9/24
‘Smelling the roses’: Tigers champ enjoying every moment ahead of game 300
There was no mention of the “r” word – just a lot of skirting around it – as Trent Cotchin spoke about becoming just the sixth Tiger to play 300 matches this Saturday night against St Kilda.
Smelling the roses’: Tigers champ enjoying every moment ahead of game 300
ByMarc McGowan
June 15, 2023 — 3.52pmThere was no mention of the “r” word – just a lot of skirting around it – as Trent Cotchin spoke about becoming just the sixth Tiger to play 300 matches this Saturday night against St Kilda.
Cotchin talked of “smelling the roses” this year, but was careful to leave enough doubt about his intentions, other than as good as slamming the door on a post-playing coaching career, beyond the Aberfeldie under-10s.
Trent Cotchin and ex-Richmond coach Damien Hardwick were at the forefront of the Tigers’ golden era.CREDIT:AFL PHOTOS
This was a celebration of a player who is a Richmond champion through and through, with four of the five Tigers to achieve the 300-game milestone – Kevin Bartlett, Francis Bourke, Jack Riewoldt and Shane Edwards – in attendance.
Cotchin’s legacy is already cemented as a triple-premiership captain, Brownlow medallist, three-time club champion and All-Australian.
But the 33-year-old, with his wife Brooke and children Mackenzie, Parker and Harper listening, said he strived to be so much more than a football icon. One of the enduring images of Cotchin will be him picking up rubbish in the Richmond rooms – long after everyone else had gone – after their 2017 qualifying final defeat of Geelong.
The Tigers won the first of their three flags in four years in the weeks after that, achieving what Cotchin, Riewoldt and Edwards once feared openly to one another was never going to be their fate.
Cotchin will play game 300 this weekend.CREDIT:EDDIE JIM
“I’m really proud of what this footy club’s managed to do, particularly in our most challenging times but also the successful periods,” Cotchin said.
“A lot of what I tried to do was be a really good human being, and that’s probably what I’m most proud of. I think I can hand on heart say that’s what I strive to be every single day.
“My absolute priority has always been my family, and it always will be my family. But the way that the Richmond footy club has become sort of a wider part of that family is what’s really special to me.”
Cotchin offered an anecdote of him charging as hard as ever at a contested ball in training on Thursday against young teammate Tyler Sonsie, before saying his time would be up if he lost that desire.
Cotchin alongside Richmond greats Shane Edwards, Kevin Bartlett, Francis Bourke and Jack Riewoldt.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES
The obvious question came next: does that mean you might play on next year? Cotchin dodged that one with as much skill as he did rival midfielders across the years, but there were still lessons to learn from his answer.
“I’m not putting a ceiling on anything,” he said. “Jack and I have had plenty of conversations this year, where it’s about really smelling the roses and enjoying each moment. We’ve shared moments where we’ve looked at each other, and we know that that’s a time to take in and celebrate, be present. You can get caught up in all the hoopla around what’s next, but, really, we’re just trying to celebrate what is right now.”
What is obvious is that Cotchin is much closer to the end than the start.
He arrived at Punt Road at the end of 2007 as a hyped prospect, the No.2 draft pick behind his ex-Northern Knights teammate Matthew Kreuzer, who went to Carlton, and turned into one of the AFL’s best, yet he was lauded in the premiership years for his selfless style.
Cotchin and his family at the press conference for his 300th game.CREDIT:EDDIE JIM
“I was always someone who wanted to get the absolute best out of himself, but maybe put a bit too much pressure [on myself],” Cotchin said.
“I think it’s been documented that I probably suffered from the perfection myth. I wanted to be the perfect player, perfect teammate, perfect captain when I was named captain, perfect husband, father, son.
“The reality is that perfection doesn’t actually exist. For me, it’s OK to strive for perfection but having that acceptance and knowledge that it’s not actually something that exists is really empowering for someone to ... [not] feel like they’re letting people down.”
RELATED ARTICLE
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...-champion-tiger-s-advice-20230307-p5cpz7.html
Cotchin’s milestone week gave him the chance, by his own admission, to reflect on his brilliant career more than he ever has. He was also presented the opportunity on Thursday to ponder how hard it will be to leave it all behind, at some stage in the near future.“[No longer] walking in every morning and knowing you’re going to have 40-odd of your mates, plus staff, who you build really special relationships with across a long period of time, is probably going to be the hardest part of letting go,” Cotchin said.
“But I’m really excited about the next phase of life. So much of our life as a family has been focused on me, and what’s best for me.
“I also think I do a pretty good job of putting the kids and Brooke at the forefront of my thinking. It’s very much going to be my focus moving forward, once it does come.”
During the 37 year drought I never thought I'd see us win another flag. I know we won a couple of finals in that time but between 95 and 2015 I saw 3 losses.
Season 2016 did me a favour with low expectations. I thought the club would sack dimma but bringing in assistant coaches and Balme was out of character.
Gale, Peggy have been a huge part of culture change.
3 flags has been unbelievable. Tough environment of rule changes and covid hubs.
Now no Peggy no dimma and Gale in the running for senior AFL jobs.
The transition to new president was smooth. New coach is a mini dimma.
Cotch has found from, stayed fit and now at the 300.
Co captains is not the best but Grimes is fit..Nank playing ok too.
Season 2016 did me a favour with low expectations. I thought the club would sack dimma but bringing in assistant coaches and Balme was out of character.
Gale, Peggy have been a huge part of culture change.
3 flags has been unbelievable. Tough environment of rule changes and covid hubs.
Now no Peggy no dimma and Gale in the running for senior AFL jobs.
The transition to new president was smooth. New coach is a mini dimma.
Cotch has found from, stayed fit and now at the 300.
Co captains is not the best but Grimes is fit..Nank playing ok too.
Last edited:
- Oct 25, 2006
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I think so
What about prostate and prostrate
- Feb 11, 2016
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He probably won’t but I hope he goes around again. He isn’t expected to win us games anymore, doesn’t take up much salary cap and still offers easily enough on field. His highlights reel just from this year is impressive. When he plays in the middle he looks very handy indeed. Cotchin is a unique footballer and once he’s gone then he ain’t coming back.
I remember reading sometime back that Chimp said he would call it quits after just one Premiership and be more involved in finance?!
'Smelling the roses': No retirement thoughts for Tigers' 300-game hero
Richmond triple-premiership captain Trent Cotchin says he still possesses the inner willingness to compete as he prepares for his 300th AFL gamewww.afl.com.au
Cotchin should absolutely play again next year, his drop in form this year was purley on the back of positional change. Besides Sonsie & Dow haven't developed fast enough to lose someone like Cotch. All the best for his 300th, Go Tiges
Just goes to show winning GF's is addictive! Well done Chimpa!
- May 18, 2008
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I dare say, if your prostate was prostrate, you might be in a spot of bother
This guy, simply a legend! what can you possibly say. I got a ****en tear in my eye, Gonna miss him when he retires.
Going to hate to see him retire as that in itself means another club legend will no longer be at the club but he is still playing good football be it in limited time on the ground. So i think best he retires with something left in the tank
AFL appreciation post
He'll always be king of the jungle
He'll always be king of the jungle
TigerTough 65
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Kudos Richmond FC (and Nobby) for posting this, if this doesn't inspire the team to deliver a big performance and get the win the against the Saints, in Trent Cotchins 300th game milestone, I will be flabbergasted.
It has all been said before, but what an amazing career, Trent has carved out, 3 X times premiership Captain, captained his state, first Richmond Brownlow Medallist since Ian Stewart in 1971, sacrificed / changed his game in 2017 to enable his great mate Dusty to have one of the all time greatest seasons in VFL / AFL history, culminating in Dusty's Brownlow medal win in 2017 (as well as being a great mate & mentor to Dusty throughout his private /professional life) and 3 X best and fairest awards, amongst numerous other achievements.
As a supporter of this great club, it has been a privilege, to watch Trent's progression from a young up and coming talented player into a very inspiring person, leader and role model for the Richmond Football Club.
Whether Trent decides to play on next year or retire at the end of this year, it has been an amazing ride and will always be indebted to him for the the role he has played in transforming the side through his actions both on and off the field.
There is no doubt, that Trent along with Dusty and Jack, will be inducted into the hall of fame at the Richmond Football Club and regarded as greats of the club, as recognition of their outstanding playing careers.
Go Tigers...Raise The Fight...Eat Em Alive
It has all been said before, but what an amazing career, Trent has carved out, 3 X times premiership Captain, captained his state, first Richmond Brownlow Medallist since Ian Stewart in 1971, sacrificed / changed his game in 2017 to enable his great mate Dusty to have one of the all time greatest seasons in VFL / AFL history, culminating in Dusty's Brownlow medal win in 2017 (as well as being a great mate & mentor to Dusty throughout his private /professional life) and 3 X best and fairest awards, amongst numerous other achievements.
As a supporter of this great club, it has been a privilege, to watch Trent's progression from a young up and coming talented player into a very inspiring person, leader and role model for the Richmond Football Club.
Whether Trent decides to play on next year or retire at the end of this year, it has been an amazing ride and will always be indebted to him for the the role he has played in transforming the side through his actions both on and off the field.
There is no doubt, that Trent along with Dusty and Jack, will be inducted into the hall of fame at the Richmond Football Club and regarded as greats of the club, as recognition of their outstanding playing careers.
Go Tigers...Raise The Fight...Eat Em Alive
Tiger_Of_Old
THE_GUN:"Why don't you use your reg acc"7/9/24
More of the Great man.
www.theage.com.au
Throughout their storied history, the Tigers have sired a pantheon of champions.
Francis Bourke, Kevin Bartlett, Vic Thorp, Jack Titus and Matthew Richardson are among the names that roll off the tongue.
From left: Richmond greats Geoff Raines, Francis Bourke, Trent Cotchin, Jack Dyer and Kevin Bartlett.CREDITIGITAL COMPOSITE BY MONIQUE WESTERMANN
On Saturday, they will salute one of the champions of their recent golden age under former coach Damien Hardwick, Trent Cotchin, the three-time premiership captain who will become only the sixth Tiger to reach 300 games.
Cotchin, taken with the No.2 pick of the 2007 national draft behind great mate Matthew Kreuzer (Carlton), has done it all, from (retrospectively) sharing the 2012 Brownlow Medal, to being a three-time best-and-fairest winner, to tasting the ultimate team success while being the club’s longest-serving captain.
“It’s amazing to be part of such a special club for such a long period of time, so many memories created,” Cotchin said.
There remains one man regarded as the greatest Tiger of all – Jack Dyer. Nicknamed “Captain Blood”, Dyer epitomised all that the Tigers stood for through the rugged 1930s and ’40s.
“I think we always say Jack is No.1. He is such an iconic figure, and an ‘eat ’em alive’ spirit. Put Jack at No.1, and anyone else can fit in anywhere they like,” Bartlett said this week.
But Captain Blood’s status aside, we asked five Richmond greats what Cotchin has meant to the club, and where he stands among the iconic figures of yesteryear.
“I think that is a marvellous tribute to them, and Cotch in particular, because he was the leader. They were part of the resurrection of the on-field fortunes of the Tigers, and they have my admiration.
“What springs to mind is that blind turn he did in the last few moments of the qualifying final against Geelong in 2017, then kicked the ball left foot through the goals from 30 or 40 yards out. That was a sublimely skilful act of a very, very talented footballer. Of course, he has been hard at it in the midfield as well.
“There are not too many attributes that are needed to be a champion that Cotch hasn’t got. He is no giant, either. He has played a hard, physical game over the last few years in particular, whether he saw that’s what he had to do as a leader, that is a question for him. He has my admiration.”
Bourke said Cotchin’s body of work meant he was among the top five Tigers of all time.
“He would have to be, just on his record. Don’t ask me to name them in order,” Bourke said.
“He is right up there, as to exactly where, that is a subjective opinion.”
“He holds a very special place in the club’s history because his leadership of the side was able to get the Tigers back as a force - in 2017, 2019 and 2020 winning premierships - after a 37-year gap.
“He helped to create new heroes for the Tigers. A 37-year gap is a long time, you can only watch so many old videos and hear so many old stories and see so many old photographs, and that sort of stuff.
Two of the best: Jack Dyer and Kevin Bartlett share a laugh in 1981.CREDIT:THE AGE
“Families and young kids and young supporters, they need new heroes that they can see and touch and watch and be part of, and he was at the forefront of that in driving the club in terms of its discipline, what was required to be a good player and be a good team.
“He has got to get tremendous accolades for his leadership during that period of time in helping the club become the success, and return Richmond to being a powerhouse on the field and off the field.”
Bartlett said Cotchin had been mature beyond his years when he walked through the Punt Rd doors for the first time.
“I remember sitting with him when he was first drafted, it must have been at some function we were at. He had left school, and I asked him about going to ‘schoolies’, and he said he didn’t go because he wanted to concentrate on football and doing the right thing, and focusing on what was ahead,” Bartlett said.
High flyer: Geoff Raines was one of the game’s best midfielders in the early 1980s.CREDIT:JOHN LAMB
“I thought: ‘Gee, for a young kid, he is really focused’.” I think he has shown that right throughout his career. He is a very humble champion. He is a great person to meet, very engaging, and he has such a fantastic pickup as pick No.2 behind Matthew Kreuzer, who was a great friend of his at the time, and probably still is. It was Richmond’s lucky day that they had pick two, and they got him.”
Bartlett said Cotchin’s willingness to alter his game in 2017 - Cotchin this week recalled the need to establish a better team environment to win a premiership - had helped the Tigers engineer a remarkable turnaround.
“In 2016, the Tigers got smashed towards the end of the season, against GWS at Manuka Oval. I was commentating, the Tigers were beaten by 12, 13 or 14 goals [88-point loss]. Then the last game of the year, they played Sydney, and at three-quarter-time, it was something like 20 goals to two. It was an extraordinary scoreline [the Tigers lost by 113 points],” Bartlett said.
“Then to think from 2016 that you could win the premiership in 2017, no one could really see that jump. Trent, who was a massive contributor of possessions at that stage, and Dusty might have been another one, they were great accumulators, but they changed the way they played. Instead of accumulating, they still wanted to accumulate, but it was more: ‘We want to go forwards, we don’t want to go backwards all the time, or sideways, or just keep kicking the ball to each other across the half-back flank’.
“That’s a great credit to people to change the way they are playing and thinking what is best for the side, and to have success.”
So, where does Cotchin rank among the club’s greats?
“I am not very good at saying the top 10. Victor Thorp, Jack Dyer and Jack Titus … what happens, we live in the present, people just fade away into the distance.
“People forget Dick Harris, at Richmond, for instance, was one of the greats, kicked about 570 goals as a rover, back in the ’30s.
“But he [Cotchin] is one of the great modern-day players, not only one of the modern-day great players for Richmond, but he is one of the great modern-day players in the competition.”
Raines said Cotchin put a greater focus on midfield “toughness” midway through his career.
“He led from the front. I think that change [in 2017 when the Tigers changed their game plan] revolutionised him. He earned the hard ball, and led the way in the midfield. I think he sacrificed his game a bit to do that, very admirable. That helped turn the team around.
“He has good skills, left foot, right foot, and hits targets - he knew what he was about.”
Raines said Cotchin was among the finest Tigers of all time.
“It puts him in the upper echelon, for sure. He has 300 games - only five have played 300. It speaks for itself,” Raine said.
Asked if Cotchin would win a spot in an updated Richmond team of the century, Raines said: “He will certainly be in the next one, that’s for sure.”
“He was always a really mature young man, even from the day he was drafted. My sense was that he almost needed to relax a bit into himself, as opposed to trying to be the perfect role model the whole time … but I wasn’t there when that whole vulnerability piece (in 2017) happened,” Campbell said.
“But that’s kind of what I thought when I saw him as a young fella - to just be him, and not try and be perfect, and live the perfect life, and be the perfect person, show that you have flaws.
“He was already a really good player and a really good leader and captain, but from ’17 onwards it all just flourished from a slightly, I imagine, different approach to things. To change the way he played a little bit, to be more [about] maximum impact, which he has absolutely been, three premierships as a captain, it’s about as good as it gets.
HB: Basil McCormack, Gordon Strang, Merv Keane
C: Francis Bourke, Bill Barrot, Dick Clay
HF: Matthew Richardson, Royce Hart, Roger Dean
F: Dale Weightman, Jack Titus, Bill Morris
R: Roy Wright, Jack Dyer (c), Kevin Bartlett
I/C: Ian Stewart, Des Rowe, Geoff Raines, Matthew Knights
Coach: Tom Hafey
“When Richmond changed their style to be really fast moving, just get the ball moving forward, it absolutely suited him, because he was tough inside [the contest] … an absolute battering ram, tackling machine and thrashing machine, getting the ball forward.
“He is not Dustin Martin as a kick, he is a nice kick but, he is not Dustin, so to get the ball moving forward more suited his skill set.”
Campbell said Cotchin’s unlikely friendship with Martin had been beneficial for each man.
“It’s almost the epitome of his growth as a leader, to take someone under his wing that couldn’t be further from the way he was, and the way he lived his life, and everything like that,” Campbell said.
“He was married with kids, and Dusty is still single. For him to do that, I reckon was a real sign of maturity and leadership. In those scenarios, when you are leading people and doing it the right way, it can only make you grow as well.
Trent Cotchin (right) and Dustin Martin with the 2017 premiership cup.CREDIT:WAYNE LUDBEY
“I think people would view him in a different light because of the way he went about that. He was always a selfless person, he just wasn’t a lad. When you are that person and a leader, it is a bit harder to get that connection with people, and you have to work in different ways, but he, obviously, found different ways to do that.”
Campbell, a former hard-running midfielder, said Cotchin ranked as one of the 10 greatest Tigers.
“I would have thought so. I think Dustin is in the conversation as two, three, four something like that. Trent is not in that sphere as a player, but does he come into the top 10? I think so.
“To be a three-time premiership captain, means more than that. He is as important a player as has played at the club.”
“I guess when I look back at Trent, and I look back at the biggest, biggest games, and the biggest moments when the whips are cracking, I look at some of his big plays that maybe some people don’t notice - the big tackles, the big blocks, he’s right there amongst the thick of it.
“He has just been an incredible servant of our footy club, and we are so lucky. We couldn’t have asked for a better captain over the last decade or so.”
Where Tiger greats rank Trent Cotchin among Richmond legends
We asked five Richmond greats what Trent Cotchin has meant to the club, and where he stands among the iconic figures of yesteryear.
Where Tiger greats rank Trent Cotchin among Richmond legends
ByJon Pierik
Throughout their storied history, the Tigers have sired a pantheon of champions.
Francis Bourke, Kevin Bartlett, Vic Thorp, Jack Titus and Matthew Richardson are among the names that roll off the tongue.
From left: Richmond greats Geoff Raines, Francis Bourke, Trent Cotchin, Jack Dyer and Kevin Bartlett.CREDIT
IGITAL COMPOSITE BY MONIQUE WESTERMANNOn Saturday, they will salute one of the champions of their recent golden age under former coach Damien Hardwick, Trent Cotchin, the three-time premiership captain who will become only the sixth Tiger to reach 300 games.
Cotchin, taken with the No.2 pick of the 2007 national draft behind great mate Matthew Kreuzer (Carlton), has done it all, from (retrospectively) sharing the 2012 Brownlow Medal, to being a three-time best-and-fairest winner, to tasting the ultimate team success while being the club’s longest-serving captain.
“It’s amazing to be part of such a special club for such a long period of time, so many memories created,” Cotchin said.
There remains one man regarded as the greatest Tiger of all – Jack Dyer. Nicknamed “Captain Blood”, Dyer epitomised all that the Tigers stood for through the rugged 1930s and ’40s.
“I think we always say Jack is No.1. He is such an iconic figure, and an ‘eat ’em alive’ spirit. Put Jack at No.1, and anyone else can fit in anywhere they like,” Bartlett said this week.
But Captain Blood’s status aside, we asked five Richmond greats what Cotchin has meant to the club, and where he stands among the iconic figures of yesteryear.
“Obviously, he and Dusty [Martin] and Jack [Riewoldt] have been the leaders of a marvellous five-or-six-year period for the Tigers. What I really admire about Cotch is, he was drafted No.2, and he and Jack and Dusty have seen the tough times as well, and enjoyed the fruits of their skills and labour in latter times,” Bourke said.“I think that is a marvellous tribute to them, and Cotch in particular, because he was the leader. They were part of the resurrection of the on-field fortunes of the Tigers, and they have my admiration.
“What springs to mind is that blind turn he did in the last few moments of the qualifying final against Geelong in 2017, then kicked the ball left foot through the goals from 30 or 40 yards out. That was a sublimely skilful act of a very, very talented footballer. Of course, he has been hard at it in the midfield as well.
“There are not too many attributes that are needed to be a champion that Cotch hasn’t got. He is no giant, either. He has played a hard, physical game over the last few years in particular, whether he saw that’s what he had to do as a leader, that is a question for him. He has my admiration.”
Bourke said Cotchin’s body of work meant he was among the top five Tigers of all time.
Scroll left through recommended storiesScroll right through recommended stories“He would have to be, just on his record. Don’t ask me to name them in order,” Bourke said.
“He is right up there, as to exactly where, that is a subjective opinion.”
“He is one of the modern-day greats, there is no doubt about that. He has been a great champion from the first day he came to the club. Everyone said he was going to be a great player, he was so highly regarded, but he turned out to be not only a great player, but a great leader,” Bartlett said.“He holds a very special place in the club’s history because his leadership of the side was able to get the Tigers back as a force - in 2017, 2019 and 2020 winning premierships - after a 37-year gap.
“He helped to create new heroes for the Tigers. A 37-year gap is a long time, you can only watch so many old videos and hear so many old stories and see so many old photographs, and that sort of stuff.
Two of the best: Jack Dyer and Kevin Bartlett share a laugh in 1981.CREDIT:THE AGE
“Families and young kids and young supporters, they need new heroes that they can see and touch and watch and be part of, and he was at the forefront of that in driving the club in terms of its discipline, what was required to be a good player and be a good team.
“He has got to get tremendous accolades for his leadership during that period of time in helping the club become the success, and return Richmond to being a powerhouse on the field and off the field.”
Bartlett said Cotchin had been mature beyond his years when he walked through the Punt Rd doors for the first time.
“I remember sitting with him when he was first drafted, it must have been at some function we were at. He had left school, and I asked him about going to ‘schoolies’, and he said he didn’t go because he wanted to concentrate on football and doing the right thing, and focusing on what was ahead,” Bartlett said.
High flyer: Geoff Raines was one of the game’s best midfielders in the early 1980s.CREDIT:JOHN LAMB
“I thought: ‘Gee, for a young kid, he is really focused’.” I think he has shown that right throughout his career. He is a very humble champion. He is a great person to meet, very engaging, and he has such a fantastic pickup as pick No.2 behind Matthew Kreuzer, who was a great friend of his at the time, and probably still is. It was Richmond’s lucky day that they had pick two, and they got him.”
Bartlett said Cotchin’s willingness to alter his game in 2017 - Cotchin this week recalled the need to establish a better team environment to win a premiership - had helped the Tigers engineer a remarkable turnaround.
“In 2016, the Tigers got smashed towards the end of the season, against GWS at Manuka Oval. I was commentating, the Tigers were beaten by 12, 13 or 14 goals [88-point loss]. Then the last game of the year, they played Sydney, and at three-quarter-time, it was something like 20 goals to two. It was an extraordinary scoreline [the Tigers lost by 113 points],” Bartlett said.
“Then to think from 2016 that you could win the premiership in 2017, no one could really see that jump. Trent, who was a massive contributor of possessions at that stage, and Dusty might have been another one, they were great accumulators, but they changed the way they played. Instead of accumulating, they still wanted to accumulate, but it was more: ‘We want to go forwards, we don’t want to go backwards all the time, or sideways, or just keep kicking the ball to each other across the half-back flank’.
“That’s a great credit to people to change the way they are playing and thinking what is best for the side, and to have success.”
So, where does Cotchin rank among the club’s greats?
Richmond games record
- Kevin Bartlett 403
- Jack Riewoldt 338 *
- Jack Dyer 312
- Shane Edwards 303
- Francis Bourke 300
- Trent Cotchin 299 *
“I am not very good at saying the top 10. Victor Thorp, Jack Dyer and Jack Titus … what happens, we live in the present, people just fade away into the distance.
“People forget Dick Harris, at Richmond, for instance, was one of the greats, kicked about 570 goals as a rover, back in the ’30s.
“But he [Cotchin] is one of the great modern-day players, not only one of the modern-day great players for Richmond, but he is one of the great modern-day players in the competition.”
“He has captained three premierships, no other Tiger has done that. That’s a fantastic effort. He also has three best and fairests. He has been a great leader, tough, disciplined, all the requirements for a great captain,” Raines said.Raines said Cotchin put a greater focus on midfield “toughness” midway through his career.
“He led from the front. I think that change [in 2017 when the Tigers changed their game plan] revolutionised him. He earned the hard ball, and led the way in the midfield. I think he sacrificed his game a bit to do that, very admirable. That helped turn the team around.
“He has good skills, left foot, right foot, and hits targets - he knew what he was about.”
Raines said Cotchin was among the finest Tigers of all time.
“It puts him in the upper echelon, for sure. He has 300 games - only five have played 300. It speaks for itself,” Raine said.
Asked if Cotchin would win a spot in an updated Richmond team of the century, Raines said: “He will certainly be in the next one, that’s for sure.”
Campbell said Cotchin’s attentive ways and family-man demeanour were on show from day one.“He was always a really mature young man, even from the day he was drafted. My sense was that he almost needed to relax a bit into himself, as opposed to trying to be the perfect role model the whole time … but I wasn’t there when that whole vulnerability piece (in 2017) happened,” Campbell said.
“But that’s kind of what I thought when I saw him as a young fella - to just be him, and not try and be perfect, and live the perfect life, and be the perfect person, show that you have flaws.
“He was already a really good player and a really good leader and captain, but from ’17 onwards it all just flourished from a slightly, I imagine, different approach to things. To change the way he played a little bit, to be more [about] maximum impact, which he has absolutely been, three premierships as a captain, it’s about as good as it gets.
Richmond team of the century (selected in 1999)
B: Kevin Sheedy, Vic Thorp, Michael GreenHB: Basil McCormack, Gordon Strang, Merv Keane
C: Francis Bourke, Bill Barrot, Dick Clay
HF: Matthew Richardson, Royce Hart, Roger Dean
F: Dale Weightman, Jack Titus, Bill Morris
R: Roy Wright, Jack Dyer (c), Kevin Bartlett
I/C: Ian Stewart, Des Rowe, Geoff Raines, Matthew Knights
Coach: Tom Hafey
“When Richmond changed their style to be really fast moving, just get the ball moving forward, it absolutely suited him, because he was tough inside [the contest] … an absolute battering ram, tackling machine and thrashing machine, getting the ball forward.
“He is not Dustin Martin as a kick, he is a nice kick but, he is not Dustin, so to get the ball moving forward more suited his skill set.”
Campbell said Cotchin’s unlikely friendship with Martin had been beneficial for each man.
“It’s almost the epitome of his growth as a leader, to take someone under his wing that couldn’t be further from the way he was, and the way he lived his life, and everything like that,” Campbell said.
“He was married with kids, and Dusty is still single. For him to do that, I reckon was a real sign of maturity and leadership. In those scenarios, when you are leading people and doing it the right way, it can only make you grow as well.
Trent Cotchin (right) and Dustin Martin with the 2017 premiership cup.CREDIT:WAYNE LUDBEY
“I think people would view him in a different light because of the way he went about that. He was always a selfless person, he just wasn’t a lad. When you are that person and a leader, it is a bit harder to get that connection with people, and you have to work in different ways, but he, obviously, found different ways to do that.”
Campbell, a former hard-running midfielder, said Cotchin ranked as one of the 10 greatest Tigers.
“I would have thought so. I think Dustin is in the conversation as two, three, four something like that. Trent is not in that sphere as a player, but does he come into the top 10? I think so.
“To be a three-time premiership captain, means more than that. He is as important a player as has played at the club.”
“What an incredible player he has been. His growth as a leader has mirrored the growth of the club. He has redefined leadership. He’s, obviously, a three-time premiership captain, broken all sorts of records,” Gale said“I guess when I look back at Trent, and I look back at the biggest, biggest games, and the biggest moments when the whips are cracking, I look at some of his big plays that maybe some people don’t notice - the big tackles, the big blocks, he’s right there amongst the thick of it.
“He has just been an incredible servant of our footy club, and we are so lucky. We couldn’t have asked for a better captain over the last decade or so.”
- Oct 29, 2020
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Benny Gale getting good words again. It's "whips are cracking time" time for the Tiges tonight. For the remainder of season'23.
Perfect Hair, switching on, setting obscenely good football executions, leading his teammates to be "right there amongst the thick of it".
Tiger_Of_Old
THE_GUN:"Why don't you use your reg acc"7/9/24
The boys will crack the whip tonight.
- Oct 25, 2006
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- B.S.C youngboys.. Borussia Dortmund
Can't quite get my finger on that
Tenacious T
Premiership Member🏆
- Jun 6, 2018
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24 carat gold
JR#8
Norm Smith Medallist
Makes me emotional to see all the old footage of Cotch. Most likely his last year, the same as Jack. Dimma gone.
Really is an end of a golden era.
Congrats on 300 Cotch. True tiger champion.
Really is an end of a golden era.
Congrats on 300 Cotch. True tiger champion.
Squeeze tighter then...
Sir_Loin
🏆🏆🏆
Geez Nank was lost for words about Chimpas 300th at one stage!
- Oct 2, 2008
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- Brothers of Destruction
So ummmm Dimma is criminal for taking Cotchin out of the midfield and almost caused him a premature retirement.
His last few weeks under mini have been sublime
His last few weeks under mini have been sublime
