Richmond premiership captain Trent Cotchin pays tribute to family, says Tigers can get better
TRENT Cotchin has paid tribute to his family after emerging from the darkest period of his career to become a premiership captain — and he says the Tigers will improve next season.
Richmond
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TRENT Cotchin has paid tribute to his immediate family after he emerged from the darkest period of his career to become a premiership captain.
The Tigers star has had an extraordinary 12 months, retrospectively handed the 2012 Brownlow Medal and now the captain of the 2017 premiers.
But last year he was under siege with criticism of his captaincy and game style so withering his wife was forced to defend him on social media.
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After two exceptional lead-up finals, Cotchin was less eye-catching in the decider, with 21 possessions and four tackles, but his leadership had united a Tigers side that might once have fractured.
He said his family had stuck through him through the hard times, glad they could bask in the glory of premiership success.
“Look, they go through a lot, they go through just as much as you do if not more. We are trained to deal with some of the crap that goes with being an AFL player,” he said.
“There are 22 that play on the field week-in and week-out but there is so much that goes on behind the scenes that is important.
“This is pretty special, it’s still a little bit weird, you don’t know how to feel, you don’t know how to think, but it’s pretty special.”
Only ruckman Ivan Maric will retire of Richmond’s elder brigade, with Cotchin confident the Tigers will not fade away after such an astounding rise to the premiership.
“The way we showed up for all those weeks this year and not just today, it shows great upside. There is a lot of improvement left in us.”
Cotchin again led the way with his physicality, adamant his statistics are meaningless if his side does not win.
“That has always been my focus. Impact the contest when you can. All year I haven’t been about the stats, it’s been about getting the best out of others, which makes me even more proud.
“It’s funny, the (rise from 13th has been a part of the story but not once have we thought about where we finished last year, it was all about the journey ahead and the here and now.
“The present is a gift and we enjoyed it.”
Across the field yesterday were signs of Cotchin’s leadership, with the Tigers captain taking Dustin Martin under his wing as he battled for consistency.
Cotchin’s determination to bare his soul and admit he was not the perfect person he was perceived to be paved the way for this group to come together.
Now at just 27 he will set his sights on multiple premierships as premiership captain, just a year after the critics wondered if he deserved the mantle as Richmond skipper.
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