TheLoungeLizard
The world's most handsome man
28th of September, 2019
... Deep on the last Saturday afternoon of September 2019, with 2 minutes and 48 seconds left on the AFL's final quarter, Greater Western Sydney trail by 71 points.
Their dashing defender-turned-forward Zac Williams sends it inside their forward 50 from the broadcast flank as Channel 7's senior commentator, Brian Taylor mentions that the Giants are trying to avoid their lowest score in their short history.
The football flies over the head of forward Daniel Lloyd and is marked by defender David Astbury of the Tigers. Astbury turns and kicks across the goal face as the red Sherrin ends up in the hands of Daniel Rioli, courtesy of winger Brandon Ellis.
2 minutes 28 seconds is all that is left in the 2019 AFL season as Rioli turns and looks inboard from the defensive flank. Calling for it is Jayden Short and Liam Baker on the edges of the centre square.
Rioli looks further to captian Trent Cotchin alone in the centre circle.
2 minutes and 23 seconds left Rioli's foot connects with the football...
AFL National Draft, 2007
... Collingwood recruiter Derek Hine had told the Herald Sun before the 2007 draft that had Collingwood had the number one pick that season they would have taken Trent Cotchin, that was how talented he was given he had missed a part of the 2007 year and AFL's pre draft testing camp due to a broken ankle he had sustained earlier that year.
The first picked player in 2007 was between himself and close friend Matthew Kreuzer, with one of the pair off to Carlton who held the first pick and the other off to Richmond who had the second overall pick.
Carlton called out Matthew Kreuzer's name and a few minutes later Trent Cotchin was officially a listed player with the Richmond Football Club...
AFL Premiership Season, 2008-2010
... Despite Cotchin's career starting off injury plagued with his Achilles flaring up on just his second treadmill run, he debuted in round 8 of 2008 in the number 9 Guernsey, last worn by former Captain Wayne Campbell, accumulating 16 disposals and 2 goals, one of which came with his first kick in the premier league of Aussie Rules.
In round 12 Cotchin was nominated for the AFL's Rising Star Award and finished the season with 15 games to his name, ultimately coming third in the Rising Star to Rhyce Palmer and Cyril Rioli.
2009 was another injury affected year for Cotchin as the Achilles issues continued to plague him, finishing off with a hip injury and 10 games added, however it was in 2010 when his leadership qualities really came to light and in just his 3rd season in the competition was voted by his teammates into the Richmond leadership group just days before his 20th birthday.
In round 4 Richmond captain Chris Newman missed the match against Melbourne, Trent Cotchin filled in as skipper for the very first time and finished his season off with his first suspension (4 matches) and a career high 17 games...
AFL Premiership Season, 2011-2012
... 2011 Cotchin had finally freed himself of the injury issues that had hold of him from the start of his career and showed the true promise of his ability, with the highlight winning the Yiooken Award in the Dreamtime at the G' game against rivals Essendon, continuing his run of never having less than 20 disposals in a game since his debut.
The final 5 matches of the 2011 Premiership season with captain Chris Newman ruled out, Cotchin again took the duties and stamped himself as the future leader of the club.
2011 was the first full season for Cotchin and he finished with 15 Brownlow Votes and his first club best and fairest.
2012 started off like many before as Cotchin trained away from the main group following hip surgery, however he was voted the sole vice captain under Chris Newman.
2012 was a turning point in his career as he gathered 38 disposals in a round 16 match against Gold Coast.
Unfortunately the Tigers missed the finals again but skipper Chris Newman stepped away from the captaincy with Cotchin tipped widely to take over having finished his 5th season with his first All Australian, AFL Coaches Association's award, The Age's Player of The Year, his second Jack Dyer Medal and was equal favourite with AFL champion Gary Ablett Jnr for the Brownlow Medal.
On the night Cotchin came joint runner up with Hawthorn Premiership captain Sam Mitchell to Essendon skipper Jobe Watson. 4 years later in 2016 Trent Cotchin and Sam Mitchell would be retrospectively awarded the 2012 Brownlow Medal following the stripping of the award from Watson as he was found guilty of drug cheating by ASADA...
AFL Premiership Season, 2013-2015
... At the start of the 2013 season Cotchin was announced as the 40th captain of the Richmond Football Club, and the youngest in over 100 years and played his 100th AFL game against the Gold Coast in round 16.
For the first time since 2001 Richmond qualified for the AFL Finals Series and drew Carlton, the club who nearly drafted him at the MCG.
Cotchin's promising career looked even better as he was now the face of the Richmond Tigers, champion player and skipper in the Finals, unfortunately bowing out in the first round as Carlton mounted a strong second half.
2014 started off well for Cotchin on the field, but for his club they won just 1 of their first 3 games and the media started to turn.
After being heavily tagged by Brent Macaffer in a round 4 game against Collingwood he responded the following week with a stirring 32 disposal against the Brisbane Lions.
After 13 games the much on the rise Tigers outfit had only managed 3 wins and Champion Data gave the Tigers just 0.6% chance of making another play off.
The Tigers led by skipper Cotchin rose to the occasion and won enough games to qualify for the 2014 AFL Finals Series.
Cotchin drew much negative press after his decision to kick into the wind in at the Final's game against Port Adelaide in Adelaide as Port went on to kick 7 goals in the first 17 minutes and would ultimately win by 57 points knocking the Tigers out in the first week for the second year in a row.
2015 saw Cotchin return with a fresh 5 year contract, turning his back on a lucrative offer from Hawthorn, to captain the club again.
Starting the year off slowly the media started to turn on Cotchin with Mark Robinson pointing out his safe play, lack of scoreboard attack and short meters gained.
Despite some in the media praising his leadership, the Tigers had an up and down year with some losses labeled by coach Damien Hardwick as 'insipid' but ultimately finishing the home and away series in 5th place for the second time in 3 years.
Unfortunately for Cotchin, he drew more negative press in the second consecutive Finals Series for being well tagged by North Melbourne midfielder Ben Jacobs as Cotchin only gathered 9 disposals, 4 of which were effective as the Tigers yet again couldn't win a final and were knocked out in the first week by North Melbourne despite being favourites by 17 points...
AFL Premiership Season, 2016
... The 2016 year was a hard one for both Cotchin and the Tigers, Mark Robinson again writing about him, suggesting the 3 finals losses were enough to remove Cotchin as captain only for forward Jack Reiwoldt to come out and publicly back him.
Despite coach Damien Hardwick telling the footy world that Cotchin was playing as a inside midfielder, which his body wasn't suited for, David King declared that Cotchin's captaincy was a detriment to the club.
On the field however Cotchin was having a successful season gather 30 disposals in the first few weeks but the media were at this throat as Hardwick was again defending him saying the commentary was unjust.
It kept bubbling and Cotchin's wife Brooke took to Instagram to ask for people to calm down and followed it up with a interview in the Herald Sun which only caused the controversy to grow larger and the intense scrutiny on Cotchin continued.
At the end of 2016 Cotchin had played 20 games, came 3rd in the best and fairest but called it the worst season of his career and most challenging year in his life as the Tigers missed the finals for the first time under his captaincy.
In the 2016 off season with intense pressure on Cotchin and coach Damien Hardwick the club undertook a whole club review and was threatened by a outside party who tried to spill the board and remove both Hardwick and Cotchin...
AFL Premiership Season, 2017-2019
2017 was a fresh slate for Cotchin and his Tigers as they threw off the chains and had a overall club shift in policy, emphasizing fun over football wins which opened up the Tigers year, getting on a roll with 5 wins from their first 5 games and growing in confidence each game.
In round 7 Cotchin captained his 100th game for the Tigers against the Western Bulldogs.
With a new approach to getting less disposals and more tackles Cotchin led his Tigers to their first top 4 placing in 16 years and break it's finals hoodoo against Geelong with a stunning captain led performance by Cotchin, summed up by a blind turn spin out of a pack and snap that sailed through the goals.
Cotchin would lead the Tigers to the AFL Grand Final, just 12 months after the worst year of his life, and the Tigers would defeat the favourites Adelaide by 48 points, making their first flag since 1980.
2018 the face of the Tigers had come back around to adulation after years of negativity as they entered 2018 as reigning premiers and stole the season finishing as minor premiers and was voted the best captain in the league before a shock finals loss to Collingwood in the Preliminary Final.
2019 Cotchin started his pre season later as a senior player but came in to play both pre season games.
2019 was largely similar to 2018 although the injury issues returned as he suffered continuous hamstring injuries along with injuries to key Richmond players throughout the year as their pursuit for aother flag was left in the balance.
The Tigers returned to form and Cotchin returned, playing his 150th game as skipper and qualifing for another finals series, beating Brisbane and overcoming a half time deficite to Geelong to win their Preliminary Final and go through to their second Grand Final in 3 years against Greater Western Sydney Giants...
28th of September, 2019
The Moment
... 2 minutes and 20 seconds remain in the game, Cotchin marks above his head in the dead center of the MCG's hallowed turf as GWS' Tim Tarranto tried to intercept with a first.
Cotchin immediately turns and goes, briefly looking to his left at Shane Edwards before bouncing, in his familiar 'chimp' running action.
Just one bounce and Cotchin runs towards the Tigers forward 50.
Channel 7's Bruce McAvaney calls "and the skipper goes and then tries to lace it out..." and Cotchins foot touched the paint of the 50, with big recruit Tom Lynch steaming towards him ..."...oh no he doesn't!..." the ball flies over Lynch's head... "... he kicks a goal!..." yells Bruce as Cotchin runs around, a grin as wide as can be, two fingers pointed in the air before a big leap and first thrown, much like a kid in junior footy kicking his first goal and as the Tigers fan roar, the players all run around him.
Coach Damien Hardwick has noted that that moment, after all Trent had been through, the dark years, he kicked a goal in a Grand Final.
It would only be 2 minutes and 7 seconds until the siren blew and Trent Cotchin would become a 2 time Premiership captain, but in that very moment the ball bounced through on the goal line, for all of us supporters, every emotion from 2008 to 2019 was worth it and our captain, our King, our 'Richmond Man' well, he finally put a nail through the negativity and became, immortal.
... Deep on the last Saturday afternoon of September 2019, with 2 minutes and 48 seconds left on the AFL's final quarter, Greater Western Sydney trail by 71 points.
Their dashing defender-turned-forward Zac Williams sends it inside their forward 50 from the broadcast flank as Channel 7's senior commentator, Brian Taylor mentions that the Giants are trying to avoid their lowest score in their short history.
The football flies over the head of forward Daniel Lloyd and is marked by defender David Astbury of the Tigers. Astbury turns and kicks across the goal face as the red Sherrin ends up in the hands of Daniel Rioli, courtesy of winger Brandon Ellis.
2 minutes 28 seconds is all that is left in the 2019 AFL season as Rioli turns and looks inboard from the defensive flank. Calling for it is Jayden Short and Liam Baker on the edges of the centre square.
Rioli looks further to captian Trent Cotchin alone in the centre circle.
2 minutes and 23 seconds left Rioli's foot connects with the football...
AFL National Draft, 2007
... Collingwood recruiter Derek Hine had told the Herald Sun before the 2007 draft that had Collingwood had the number one pick that season they would have taken Trent Cotchin, that was how talented he was given he had missed a part of the 2007 year and AFL's pre draft testing camp due to a broken ankle he had sustained earlier that year.
The first picked player in 2007 was between himself and close friend Matthew Kreuzer, with one of the pair off to Carlton who held the first pick and the other off to Richmond who had the second overall pick.
Carlton called out Matthew Kreuzer's name and a few minutes later Trent Cotchin was officially a listed player with the Richmond Football Club...
AFL Premiership Season, 2008-2010
... Despite Cotchin's career starting off injury plagued with his Achilles flaring up on just his second treadmill run, he debuted in round 8 of 2008 in the number 9 Guernsey, last worn by former Captain Wayne Campbell, accumulating 16 disposals and 2 goals, one of which came with his first kick in the premier league of Aussie Rules.
In round 12 Cotchin was nominated for the AFL's Rising Star Award and finished the season with 15 games to his name, ultimately coming third in the Rising Star to Rhyce Palmer and Cyril Rioli.
2009 was another injury affected year for Cotchin as the Achilles issues continued to plague him, finishing off with a hip injury and 10 games added, however it was in 2010 when his leadership qualities really came to light and in just his 3rd season in the competition was voted by his teammates into the Richmond leadership group just days before his 20th birthday.
In round 4 Richmond captain Chris Newman missed the match against Melbourne, Trent Cotchin filled in as skipper for the very first time and finished his season off with his first suspension (4 matches) and a career high 17 games...
AFL Premiership Season, 2011-2012
... 2011 Cotchin had finally freed himself of the injury issues that had hold of him from the start of his career and showed the true promise of his ability, with the highlight winning the Yiooken Award in the Dreamtime at the G' game against rivals Essendon, continuing his run of never having less than 20 disposals in a game since his debut.
The final 5 matches of the 2011 Premiership season with captain Chris Newman ruled out, Cotchin again took the duties and stamped himself as the future leader of the club.
2011 was the first full season for Cotchin and he finished with 15 Brownlow Votes and his first club best and fairest.
2012 started off like many before as Cotchin trained away from the main group following hip surgery, however he was voted the sole vice captain under Chris Newman.
2012 was a turning point in his career as he gathered 38 disposals in a round 16 match against Gold Coast.
Unfortunately the Tigers missed the finals again but skipper Chris Newman stepped away from the captaincy with Cotchin tipped widely to take over having finished his 5th season with his first All Australian, AFL Coaches Association's award, The Age's Player of The Year, his second Jack Dyer Medal and was equal favourite with AFL champion Gary Ablett Jnr for the Brownlow Medal.
On the night Cotchin came joint runner up with Hawthorn Premiership captain Sam Mitchell to Essendon skipper Jobe Watson. 4 years later in 2016 Trent Cotchin and Sam Mitchell would be retrospectively awarded the 2012 Brownlow Medal following the stripping of the award from Watson as he was found guilty of drug cheating by ASADA...
AFL Premiership Season, 2013-2015
... At the start of the 2013 season Cotchin was announced as the 40th captain of the Richmond Football Club, and the youngest in over 100 years and played his 100th AFL game against the Gold Coast in round 16.
For the first time since 2001 Richmond qualified for the AFL Finals Series and drew Carlton, the club who nearly drafted him at the MCG.
Cotchin's promising career looked even better as he was now the face of the Richmond Tigers, champion player and skipper in the Finals, unfortunately bowing out in the first round as Carlton mounted a strong second half.
2014 started off well for Cotchin on the field, but for his club they won just 1 of their first 3 games and the media started to turn.
After being heavily tagged by Brent Macaffer in a round 4 game against Collingwood he responded the following week with a stirring 32 disposal against the Brisbane Lions.
After 13 games the much on the rise Tigers outfit had only managed 3 wins and Champion Data gave the Tigers just 0.6% chance of making another play off.
The Tigers led by skipper Cotchin rose to the occasion and won enough games to qualify for the 2014 AFL Finals Series.
Cotchin drew much negative press after his decision to kick into the wind in at the Final's game against Port Adelaide in Adelaide as Port went on to kick 7 goals in the first 17 minutes and would ultimately win by 57 points knocking the Tigers out in the first week for the second year in a row.
2015 saw Cotchin return with a fresh 5 year contract, turning his back on a lucrative offer from Hawthorn, to captain the club again.
Starting the year off slowly the media started to turn on Cotchin with Mark Robinson pointing out his safe play, lack of scoreboard attack and short meters gained.
Despite some in the media praising his leadership, the Tigers had an up and down year with some losses labeled by coach Damien Hardwick as 'insipid' but ultimately finishing the home and away series in 5th place for the second time in 3 years.
Unfortunately for Cotchin, he drew more negative press in the second consecutive Finals Series for being well tagged by North Melbourne midfielder Ben Jacobs as Cotchin only gathered 9 disposals, 4 of which were effective as the Tigers yet again couldn't win a final and were knocked out in the first week by North Melbourne despite being favourites by 17 points...
AFL Premiership Season, 2016
... The 2016 year was a hard one for both Cotchin and the Tigers, Mark Robinson again writing about him, suggesting the 3 finals losses were enough to remove Cotchin as captain only for forward Jack Reiwoldt to come out and publicly back him.
Despite coach Damien Hardwick telling the footy world that Cotchin was playing as a inside midfielder, which his body wasn't suited for, David King declared that Cotchin's captaincy was a detriment to the club.
On the field however Cotchin was having a successful season gather 30 disposals in the first few weeks but the media were at this throat as Hardwick was again defending him saying the commentary was unjust.
It kept bubbling and Cotchin's wife Brooke took to Instagram to ask for people to calm down and followed it up with a interview in the Herald Sun which only caused the controversy to grow larger and the intense scrutiny on Cotchin continued.
At the end of 2016 Cotchin had played 20 games, came 3rd in the best and fairest but called it the worst season of his career and most challenging year in his life as the Tigers missed the finals for the first time under his captaincy.
In the 2016 off season with intense pressure on Cotchin and coach Damien Hardwick the club undertook a whole club review and was threatened by a outside party who tried to spill the board and remove both Hardwick and Cotchin...
AFL Premiership Season, 2017-2019
2017 was a fresh slate for Cotchin and his Tigers as they threw off the chains and had a overall club shift in policy, emphasizing fun over football wins which opened up the Tigers year, getting on a roll with 5 wins from their first 5 games and growing in confidence each game.
In round 7 Cotchin captained his 100th game for the Tigers against the Western Bulldogs.
With a new approach to getting less disposals and more tackles Cotchin led his Tigers to their first top 4 placing in 16 years and break it's finals hoodoo against Geelong with a stunning captain led performance by Cotchin, summed up by a blind turn spin out of a pack and snap that sailed through the goals.
Cotchin would lead the Tigers to the AFL Grand Final, just 12 months after the worst year of his life, and the Tigers would defeat the favourites Adelaide by 48 points, making their first flag since 1980.
2018 the face of the Tigers had come back around to adulation after years of negativity as they entered 2018 as reigning premiers and stole the season finishing as minor premiers and was voted the best captain in the league before a shock finals loss to Collingwood in the Preliminary Final.
2019 Cotchin started his pre season later as a senior player but came in to play both pre season games.
2019 was largely similar to 2018 although the injury issues returned as he suffered continuous hamstring injuries along with injuries to key Richmond players throughout the year as their pursuit for aother flag was left in the balance.
The Tigers returned to form and Cotchin returned, playing his 150th game as skipper and qualifing for another finals series, beating Brisbane and overcoming a half time deficite to Geelong to win their Preliminary Final and go through to their second Grand Final in 3 years against Greater Western Sydney Giants...
28th of September, 2019
The Moment
... 2 minutes and 20 seconds remain in the game, Cotchin marks above his head in the dead center of the MCG's hallowed turf as GWS' Tim Tarranto tried to intercept with a first.
Cotchin immediately turns and goes, briefly looking to his left at Shane Edwards before bouncing, in his familiar 'chimp' running action.
Just one bounce and Cotchin runs towards the Tigers forward 50.
Channel 7's Bruce McAvaney calls "and the skipper goes and then tries to lace it out..." and Cotchins foot touched the paint of the 50, with big recruit Tom Lynch steaming towards him ..."...oh no he doesn't!..." the ball flies over Lynch's head... "... he kicks a goal!..." yells Bruce as Cotchin runs around, a grin as wide as can be, two fingers pointed in the air before a big leap and first thrown, much like a kid in junior footy kicking his first goal and as the Tigers fan roar, the players all run around him.
Coach Damien Hardwick has noted that that moment, after all Trent had been through, the dark years, he kicked a goal in a Grand Final.
It would only be 2 minutes and 7 seconds until the siren blew and Trent Cotchin would become a 2 time Premiership captain, but in that very moment the ball bounced through on the goal line, for all of us supporters, every emotion from 2008 to 2019 was worth it and our captain, our King, our 'Richmond Man' well, he finally put a nail through the negativity and became, immortal.
