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Trent Cotchin

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Full name
  
Trent William Cotchin

Height
  
1.85 m

Children
  
Harper Foxx Cotchin

Name
  
Trent Cotchin

Spouse
  
Brooke Cotchin (m. 2013)

Height/Weight
  
185 cm / 85 kg

Career start
  
2008

Weight
  
84 kg


Trent Cotchin Richmond captain Trent Cotchin to make first appearance in

Date of birth
  
(1990-04-07) 7 April 1990 (age 25)

Original team(s)
  
West Preston (NFL) PEGS (AGSV) Northern Knights (TAC Cup)

Draft
  
2nd overall, 2007 Richmond

Role
  
Australian Rules Footballer

Education
  
Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School

Profiles


Place of birth
  
Melbourne, Victoria

The afl whiteboard trent cotchin


Trent William Cotchin (born 7 April 1990) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for and captains the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is a Brownlow Medallist, an All-Australian and a three-time Richmond best and fairest winner. Cotchin represented the Victorian Metropolitan side at the 2007 AFL Under 18 Championships and captained the Vic Metro side at 2006 Under 16 Championships. He played for the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup as a junior, before being drafted to Richmond with the second overall pick in the 2007 national draft. Cotchin has served as Richmond's captain since 2013 and has led the club to finals appearances on four occasions including to a grand final in 2017.

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Early life and junior football

Trent Cotchin Trent Cotchin AFL Players

Cotchin spent his teenage years in the Victorian town of Wollert, Victoria, 27 kilometers north of Melbourne. He played his junior football with West Preston Lakeside in the Northern Football League before moving on to play with the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup at the age of 16.

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In 2006, Cotchin captained the Victorian Metro side in the under-16 national championships.

Trent Cotchin Pain won39t slow Trent Cotchin as he leads from the front

In January 2007, Cotchin spent time training with the Richmond Football Club senior list as a member of the AIS/AFL Academy. Cotchin later spoke of being taken under the wing of Richmond player, Brett Deledio. At the time Deledio was his favourite AFL player, with a poster of him hanging on Cotchin's bedroom wall in his family home. At the 2007 AFL Under 18 Championships, Cotchin was a member of the runner-up Victorian Metro side. Cotchin suffered a broken foot while playing with the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup finals in September 2007, which saw him face more than six weeks away from football.

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Cotchin attended high school at Parade College and Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School. He was named among the team's best in the latter's 2007 state school championship victory.

AFL recruitment

Prior to the 2007 AFL draft, Cotchin was notable for his "class, balance, (and) ability to read the play". He was projected to be a high draft pick, with Collingwood recruiter Derek Hine telling the Herald Sun that Cotchin would be his choice for the number one pick had it been in Collingwood's hands. In October that year, Cotchin's father Peter had spoken to the media expressing concern over the possibility that his son may be drafted by West Coast. He cited the club's then-issues with recreational drug use among its playing list.

Cotchin missed most of the AFL's pre-draft camp testing on account of the ankle injury sustained earlier in the year. In the days prior to the draft, Cotchin was heavily linked to Richmond with the second overall selection. The CEO of Carlton, who held the number one pick, confirmed that the club would choose between Cotchin and Northern Knights teammate Matthew Kreuzer with their pick.

2008 season

Cotchin was drafted by Richmond with the club's first selection and the second overall in the 2007 AFL draft. He was assigned the number nine guernsey, which had remained unused since the retirement of former club captain Wayne Campbell at the end of the 2005 season. Upon joining the club, Cotchin began to rehabilitate his injured foot but suffered the effects of an inflamed Achilles tendon on just his second treadmill run. He missed much of the club's standard pre-season training, forced instead to stick to swimming and exercise bike sessions to maintain fitness. Cotchin returned to full training the week of round 1 but was not was not declared fit to play for a further four weeks. He subsequently played four matches with Richmond's Victorian Football League (VFL) affiliate side, Coburg. Cotchin made his senior debut in round 8 of the 2008 season in a match against Geelong at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). He recorded sixteen disposals and an equal team-high two goals, one of which came with his first kick. In round 11, Cotchin recorded 17 possessions in the first half of Richmond's match against Adelaide. He finished the match with 25 disposals and a goal to his name. After further impressive performances, Cotchin received the AFL Rising Star nomination for round 12. He kicked a goal and gathered 14 possessions on his way to the nomination. Cotchin did not miss a game after making his debut, finishing the season having played fifteen games, kicking nine goals and averaging 16.4 disposals per game. He ultimately finished third in the AFL Rising Star Award with 21 votes, behind Hawthorn's Cyril Rioli (37 votes) and Fremantle's Rhys Palmer who topped the poll with 44 votes.

2009 season

Cotchin again struggled with Achilles issues in the pre-season and early stages of his second season. He missed the first seven matches of the season, instead playing limited game-time in VFL games with Coburg. He eventually returned to the club's senior side in Richmond's round 8 match with Port Adelaide. Cotchin's season came to an end after sustaining a hip injury in the round 18 match against Melbourne. He would undergo surgery in August that would keep him from training and playing until late October. He finished the season averaging 17.7 disposals and kicking three goals in ten games.

2010 season

In 2010, Cotchin approached the season fully fit for the first time in his career. He spent periods of the pre-season on a limited program however, aiming to build the fitness base that he lacked in his first two seasons. Prior to the season, Cotchin was voted by his teammates into the club's leadership group, a sign of endorsement for his leadership qualities even before reaching his 20th birthday. For the first time in three years Cotchin was a member of Richmond's round 1 side when they played Carlton at the MCG. He went on to play in 15 of the club's first 16 matches, notching more than 20 disposals in seven of those games. When captain Chris Newman missed the club's round 4 match with Melbourne, Cotchin filled in, captaining the club for the first time in his career. In round 16, Cotchin was reported for a late bump on North Melbourne's Sam Wright. Wright was concussed in the incident and the AFL's match review panel judged the hit to be reckless with high contact and of high impact. Cotchin was offered a three-match suspension, which he and the club subsequently challenged. The AFL Tribunal found him guilty, and upgraded him to a four match suspension as a result of the unsuccessful challenge. Cotchin returned to football for Richmond's final two games of the season against St Kilda and Port Adelaide. He recorded twenty-two disposals and kicked two goals in each of the two matches. His season total of 17 matches was his highest to date and was his 19.5 disposals and 4.8 clearances per game. Cotchin finished seventh in the club's best and fairest award that year.

2011 season

Building on the fitness he showed the previous year, 2011's pre-season saw Cotchin train with the main group more than ever before. In a profile published in The Age prior to round 1 he cited a previous tendency to fade out late in games due to a low fitness base, but that he believed his first full pre-season would allow him to correct this. It proved to be the case, with Cotchin showing the strong form in the early part of the year. Cotchin had his first career game with 30 disposals in a round 4 loss to Collingwood at the MCG. In round 7, he kicked four goals in a match against Fremantle, his highest tally to date. In round 9, Cotchin received the Yiooken Award as the best on ground in the Dreamtime at the 'G game against Essendon. To that point he had not had a game with less than 20 disposals, averaging 24.4 per game. When captain Chris Newman was ruled out late in the season, Cotchin took over as captain, leading the club in its last five matches of the season. In late-August, Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph claimed Cotchin was a certainty to be named Richmond's next captain, but that it was unlikely to be so until at the least the end of the 2012 season. Cotchin finished the season having played all 22 matches, a career-first. He topped the club for kicks, inside-50s and clearances during the season. He also received a club-best 15 Brownlow Medal votes at the end of the year award. For his performances during the season Cotchin received his first club best and fairest award, the Jack Dyer Medal.

2012 season

Ahead of the 2012 season, Cotchin was officially appointed the club's vice-captain. He spent a week of pre-season away from the main training group, after minor hip surgery underwent at the end of the previous season. He talked in February about a growing confidence in the club's ability to qualify for finals, citing the progress of key draftees in the "developing years" previous.

In round 12, Cotchin recorded 25 disposals in a win against Greater Western Sydney and was awarded six votes in the AFL Coaches Association's player of the year award. The haul moved him into second on the award's leader-board. To that point he had held averages of 26.4 disposals and one goal per game. He was also ranked seventh in the league for total disposals and fourth for inside 50s. He had an equal then-career-best 38 disposals in a match against Gold Coast in round 16. Arguably his best game of the season came in a round 20 victory over the Western Bulldogs. He recorded 35 disposals, seven marks and kicked three goals in a best on ground performance.

By mid-August, Cotchin began to receive significant praise from members of the football media. The Herald Sun's Mark Stevens called Cotchin Richmond's best player since Kevin Bartlett, while The Age's Jake Niall described his attributes as similar to Chris Judd and Gary Ablett Jr. at the same age.

Prior to the season's final match, Chris Newman announced he would be standing aside as captain. At the time Cotchin was earmarked by fans and media as a near-certainty to take up the mantle. The Tigers would ultimately miss out on finals in 2012, with six loses by less than two goals (and one draw) marking a significant opportunity gone missing.

Cotchin received a bevy of awards for his season including a first career selection to the All-Australian team. Cotchin received the most votes in a week-by-week tally to be awarded the AFL Coaches Association's champion player of the year award. In addition Cotchin was anointed The Age's Player of the Year in 2012. He also placed third in the Leigh Matthews Trophy (AFL Players Association most valuable player award). As the club's best player that season, Cotchin was award his second straight Jack Dyer Medal. He led the club in total disposals (606) and placed second in contested possessions (273), inside 50s (116) and clearances (113). He also recorded his best goal-kicking tally to date with 21 across his 22 games.

On the night of the Brownlow Medal count, Cotchin entered as equal favourite alongside Gary Ablett. Though he started the count slowly, Cotchin polled 11 out a possible 12 votes in Richmond's final four matches of the season. He finished the night with a total 26 votes to finish equal second with Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell and behind Essendon's Jobe Watson. On 15 November 2016 however, Watson was officially stripped of the Brownlow Medal by the AFL Commission due to his role in the 2012 Essendon supplements saga. Watson had previously served a 12 month suspension on the ruling of the World Anti-Doping Agency and was under pressure from media outlets to hand back the award prior to the AFL's forthcoming decision on its future. Cotchin (along with Mitchell) was formally presented with the medal in a private ceremony in Melbourne on 13 December 2016.

2013 season

On 23 November 2012, the Richmond Football Club announced Cotchin's appointment as club captain for the 2013 season. With this appointment he became the 40th captain in Richmond's VFL/AFL history, and the youngest Richmond captain in more than 100 years. Cotchin broke with recent tradition by choosing to continue wearing his number nine jumper instead of adopting the club's number seventeen guernsey. Former captains Wayne Campbell, Kane Johnson and Chris Newman had all previously adopted the number in honour of club legend Jack Dyer after his death in 2003. Cotchin explained that he held the club's history and Dyer in high regard but he had decided to keep the number nine because he had worn it throughout his football career including his junior years.

Cotchin entered the season with a weight of expectation, picked by the AFL's club captains as the player most likely to win the Brownlow Medal. His performances in the early stages of the season saw him averaging 33.3 disposals and 5.7 clearances per game in his first three appearances. It marked seven consecutive matches with more than 30 disposals (including the previous year's last four matches). Former Brisbane premiership coach turned media commentator Leigh Matthews praised Cotchin's leadership in April 2013. The VFL/AFL legend said he believed Cotchin would "really thrive as captain." In round 5, Cotchin suffered a hyper-extension of the knee. He battled soreness from the minor injury the following week before being ruled out of the club's round 7 match against Port Adelaide. Though he would miss just one game as a result, he later admitted the effects of the injury had lingered and he had suffered bone bruising as a result. Cotchin played his 100th AFL game in round 16 in a match against Gold Coast at Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns. He recorded nine marks and 29 disposals in the match. Across his first hundred games Cotchin racked up 25 or more disposals on 39 occasions.

With a victory in round 19, the Cotchin-led Tigers confirmed a final-series berth for the first time since 2001. The side would eventually finish in fifth place, earning the right to host a home final at the MCG. When the AFL ruled Essendon as disqualified from the finals series due to the ongoing supplements saga, the ninth placed Carlton was elevated to face Richmond in the first elimination final. Cotchin's Richmond side were eventually defeated, giving up a 26 point half-time lead to ultimately go down by 20 points. The captain recorded 26 disposals, five clearances and two goals in the match.

Cotchin led the club for total disposals and clearances that year, finishing fifth in the club's best and fairest count and receiving the Kevin Bartlett Medal for that effort. At the Brownlow Medal, his 19 votes made him the first player in Richmond's history to poll 15 or more votes in three consecutive seasons. He finished equal eighth in the award.

2014 season

After a self-described "up and down" season, Cotchin told the media he was focused on maintaining a more consistent personal output in 2014. Cotchin started the season strongly again, kicking a goal again and averaging 30.3 disposals per game in his first three matches. Despite his best efforts, the club won just one of these first three games. The Age's Rohan Connolly labelled Cotchin the Tigers' best across this period but questioned the captain's on-field support. In round 4, Cotchin was subject to a stifling tag by Collingwood's Brent Macaffer. He was held to just 13 disposals (at 46% efficiency), his lowest disposal count in a match since round 16, 2010. Cotchin later appeared on the Seven Network's Game Day program, saying "at times, (he) thought (he) was being held illegally." Brisbane head of coaching Peter Schwab said during the week following that the Lions would also tag Cotchin in the clubs' upcoming round 5 match. Despite this effort, Cotchin had a marked return to form, gathering 32 disposals and kicked a goal in the match against Brisbane. After seven rounds, Cotchin held an average of 25.9 disposals per game.

He suffered a minor ankle injury in the club's round 8 loss to Melbourne. Cotchin did not a miss a game as a result however, passing a fitness test to qualify for the club's round 10 match against Greater Western Sydney. After 13 matches, the club stood at just three wins, making a return to finals nearly impossible. The AFL's statistical partner Champion Data gave the club just a 0.6% chance of making finals.

In round 15, Cotchin kicked a career-best five goals and recorded 31 disposals in a win against St Kilda. He became the first Richmond player to achieve thirty or more disposals and five or more goals in 23 years. He received the Ian Stewart Medal for this best afield performance. After six consecutive wins, Cotchin played down expectations that Richmond could pull off an improbable comeback to play finals, saying "talk about fairytales and so forth. We're not really interested in that." Richmond would eventually complete the fairytale, winning nine straight matches and finishing the season in eighth position.

Richmond would ultimately fall in the first elimination final, losing to Port Adelaide by 57 points at the Adelaide Oval. Cotchin received significant criticism for his decision to kick into the wind when he won the pre-game coin toss. Cotchin was defended publicly by coach Damien Hardwick despite Port Adelaide kicking seven goals in the first seventeen minutes kicking with the wind.

At the end of the season, Cotchin won his third Jack Dyer Medal. He became the equal second youngest player in AFL history to have won three best and fairest awards and the youngest Richmond player to do so. He polled 18 votes in that years' Brownlow Medal count, becoming the first player in Richmond history to record four seasons with 15 or more votes in the prestigious award.

2015 season

In December 2014 Cotchin signed a 5-year contract extension with Richmond, tying him to the club until the end of the 2020 season. In doing so he shrugged off a reportedly lucrative offer from Hawthorn.

In the 2015 pre-season, Cotchin managed minor hamstring soreness. This saw him on a slightly reduced training workload, with a focus to being available for round 1. He did however miss the first two of the club's pre-season matches as a result.

Cotchin started the season slowly, recording just seventeen disposals and one clearance in the club's round 1 win against Carlton. In April, he received criticism from Herald Sun journalist Mark Robinson for a "safe" play-style. Robinson scolded Cotchin for his inability to impact the scoreboard with goals and goal assists and questioned his recent history of defensive kicking, specifically his average of just five metres gained per kick in round 2. When Coach Hardwick labelled the club's round 4 loss to Melbourne as "insipid", Cotchin responded by promising the media that his team would "make sure we're more consistent." It would prove an empty promise, with the Tigers again falling, this time at the hand of Geelong. To this point, Cotchin ranked 66th in the league for metres gained and 18th for lateral or backward kicks. AFL Media's Peter Ryan suggested this was an underachievement for Cotchin, but more specifically that he was not damaging enough to be considered "a great player".

Cotchin was lauded by Coach Hardwick for a "great captain's game" in the club's round 7 win against Collingwood. Cotchin recorded thirty-two disposals, six clearances and kicked two goals in the match. He was again praised for his on-field leadership in round 14, this time against Greater Western Sydney. In July, former Brisbane premiership player and current Fox Footy commentator Jonathan Brown said Cotchin had "taken his game to another level especially in the leadership stakes." Back soreness kept Cotchin from playing in round 22, his only missed game for the season.

At the end of the home and away season, Richmond finished fifth, qualifying for a home elimination final. Cotchin thus became the first Richmond captain since Royce Hart to lead teams to finals in each of his first three seasons. For the third straight season however, the club would lose its first final, this time by 17 points at the hands of North Melbourne. Held by North Melbourne tagger Ben Jacobs, Cotchin gathered just nine possessions with only four effective disposals. It was the equal lowest disposal count in his 153 game career to-date.

2016 season

Prior to the 2016 pre-season, the Herald Sun's Mark Robinson published a criticism of Cotchin's captaincy, suggesting the club's three straight finals losses were reason to remove him from the role, with forward Jack Riewoldt his preferred replacement. Riewoldt rubbished the suggestion, declaring the Richmond leadership group "second to none" and backing Cotchin as the best man for the job. Cotchin ultimately remained in the role, with the club confirming him for a fourth consecutive term as skipper in January 2016.

Going into the season, Hardwick stressed the need to relieve Cotchin of elements of his inside-midfield role. Hardwick claimed the club was asking Cotchin "to fulfil a role for his body size that he is incapable of doing" and that continuing to do so without proper midfield support could see Cotchin's career shortened significantly. Cotchin' captaincy was again criticised in April, this time by Fox Footy's David King. In a television broadcast the day after Richmond's round 2 loss to Collingwood, he said Cotchin's leadership was a detriment to the club and that he should be replaced at season's end.

Cotchin received defense over the repeated comments and praise for his leadership from rival players Luke Hodge and Patrick Dangerfield in the weeks that followed. Hardwick labelled the criticism "unjust and farcical." Cotchin was also defended publicly by his wife Brooke, who took to Instagram to show support for his leadership qualities. She reiterated her support in a Herald Sun interview, sparking a mini-controversy over the public role of footballers' partners.

Meanwhile, Cotchin was quietly having a strong start to the season, averaging 30.4 disposals and 6.8 clearances in each of the club's first five matches. In round 6, Cotchin suffered a fractured cheekbone. Though he sustained the injury in the opening moments of the match, he played on through the end of the 35 point loss. He missed two matches as a result, returning to the club's round 9 side to play Fremantle. Cotchin recorded a career high 39 disposals in his return. He missed a week of training ahead of round 12, forced into hospital for a day after contracting a virus. He did not miss a match however, contributing a goal and 28 disposals (12 in the last quarter) in Richmond's win over Gold Coast. To this point he was averaging career highs in disposals, contested possessions, clearances and uncontested possessions. Despite his strong performances, the club would fail to qualify for the finals for the first time under his captaincy. He finished the season having played 20 matches, topping the club for total clearances and second in disposals per game. Cotchin placed third in the club's best and fairest that year, behind Dustin Martin and Alex Rance.

In a Herald Sun article penned in May the following year, Cotchin referred to 2016 as "the worst season of (his) career and the most challenging year of (his) life" on the back of the club's performance and the self-imposed pressures of success. He revealed he spent the off-season reassessing his leadership style and contemplating whether or not to continue on as Richmond captain.

2017 season

Questions over Cotchin's role as captain continued into the 2017 pre-season, this time from departing Richmond development coach Mark Williams. Though Williams described Cotchin as a "wonderful leader," he insisted that Cotchin would become a better player without the added pressure of captaincy. In spite of the outside pressures, he was again appointed to captain the club when a three-man leadership group was announced in mid-March.

His performance in Round 2 saw him named best-on-ground by Fox Footy, after recording 26 disposals, seven clearances, eight inside 50s, two goals and a game-high seven tackles in the win over Collingwood. After five rounds Richmond remained unbeaten, the best start to a season in Cotchin's time as captain and the best at the club since 1995. In Round 6's loss to Adelaide, Cotchin recorded game-highs in tackles (11) and pressure acts (33) and team-highs for disposals (26), contested possessions (16) and metres gained (502). Cotchin captained Richmond for the 100th time in Round 7, 2017, in a match against the Western Bulldogs. He became just the fifth player in the club's history to do so after Percy Bentley, Jack Dyer, Des Rowe and Matthew Knights. Cotchin's seven tackles recorded in Round 8 that year saw him take the club record for most career tackles (from former teammate Brett Deledio). In Round 8, Cotchin was reported for a jumper-punch on Fremantle midfielder Lachie Neale. He escaped suspension for the incident, accepting a $1,000 fine for his actions.

In June Cotchin was named in the top ten midfielders in the competition according to Triple M and Seven Network commentator Wayne Carey. He was also named on the interchange bench in AFL Media's mid-season All Australian team. After 11 rounds he was the club leader for tackles, and placed eight in the league for the season. When the All Australian squad was named in late August, Cotchin was listed as a notable omission by numerous media organisations including The Advertiser, Fox Sports and The Age.

Statistics

Statistics are correct to preliminary final, 2017

Honours and achievements

  • AFL
  • Brownlow Medal: 2012
  • AFLCA Champion Player of the Year: 2012
  • All-Australian team: 2012
  • 22under22 team: 2012
  • AFL Rising Star nominee: 2008
  • The Age Player of the Year: 2012
  • Yiooken Award: 2011
  • Ian Stewart Medal: 2014
  • Richmond
  • 3× Jack Dyer Medal (1st RFC B&F): 2011, 2012, 2014
  • Maurie Fleming Medal (3rd RFC B&F): 2016
  • Kevin Bartlett Medal (5th RFC B&F): 2013
  • Richmond captain: 2013–
  • Life Member: 2015
  • Most career tackles record holder: 2017
  • Junior
  • U/18 Vic Metro representative: 2007
  • U/16 Vic Metro captain: 2006
  • Personal life

    In December 2013, Cotchin married his high school sweetheart and long-term girlfriend Brooke Kennedy in a ceremony at Flinders, Victoria. On 20 March 2014, they announced they were expecting their first child. Daughter Harper Foxx Cotchin was born in September 2014. The couple's second daughter Mackenzie Foxx Cotchin was born on 26 June 2016.

    The Draft: Inside the AFL's Search for Talent

    Cotchin was one of five teenage footballers whose final year of junior football and first five seasons in the AFL was chronicled in the book The Draft: Inside the AFL's Search for Talent by Emma Quayle.

    References

    Trent Cotchin Wikipedia