AFL 2022: Richmond coach has high hopes for Trent Cotchin after ditching the captaincy

Dropping the captaincy could propel this AFL star to big things in 2022.

Richmond’s Trent Cotchin will still have a big influence at the club despite stepping down from the captaincy. Picture: Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Stepping down as captain could be the key to Richmond star Trent Cotchin delivering a “very, very good year” in 2022, according to Tigers coach Damien Hardwick.

Cotchin, a triple premiership captain, stepped down from the captaincy at the end of last season after nine years in the role as Richmond missed the finals.

He finished his tenure as the longest-serving and most successful skipper in Tigerland history.

But Cotchin remains relatively young at just 31 – he turns 32 in April – and Hardwick believes the capacity to focus on just himself in the pre-season could help him bound into the season.

“He can just really concentrate on his own game. And I think when you get a little bit older it probably lends itself a little bit more to that. You’ve got to concentrate hard on getting your body right, week in, week out,” Hardwick told the Talking Tigers podcast.

“He’s had the best pre-season since I’ve been at the club.

“He’s done more work than he’s ever done before, he looks as fit as he’s ever been, so I’m expecting him to have a very, very good year.”

Trent Cotchin is set for a big year under coach Damien Hardwick. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Cotchin returned to action in last week’s practice match against Hawthorn in Tasmania, having missed the previous week’s hitout against Geelong.

Hardwick said he saw all the best qualities from Cotchin, the sort that have propelled him to three club best and fairests and a Brownlow Medal.

“And we started to see that in the first half on the weekend (against Hawthorn in Devonport),” he said.

“He was very clean, physical, powerful – all the things we love about Trent as a player.”

Hardwick said Cotchin would still have “an enormous influence on our club” despite handing over the captaincy to Dylan Grimes and Toby Nankervis.

Richmond opens its season against Carlton next Thursday, March 17, at the MCG.

Originally published as AFL 2022: Richmond coach has high hopes for Trent Cotchin after ditching the captaincy