Richmond triple-premiership captain Trent Cotchin is ready for a brand new position in 2023, because the Tigers look to surge again into premiership rivalry.
The 32-year previous has been a mainstay within the Tigers’ midfield brigade since making his debut in 2008, but the arrival of growth recruits Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper from GWS has pressured the membership to assume exterior the field within the twilight of Cotchin’s profession.
Cotchin has spent the vast majority of Richmond’s pre-season making ready for his new position, together with as a everlasting ahead within the final three match simulation classes, in response to Seven journalist Mitch Cleary.
According to teammate and shut buddy Jack Riewoldt, the transfer has already sparked a brand new nickname – ‘Trent Coleman’, a reference to legendary AFL sharpshooter John Coleman.
“He’s been playing forward a little bit… for a player like him to add another string to his bow and play forward is important for us,” Riewoldt advised Seven News.
“‘Trent Coleman’ has got a bit of a ring to it… a few of the boys were ribbing him about it, but he might have kicked three or four in a praccy game the other day.”
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Cotchin’s ferocious assault on the ball, management and expertise is ready so as to add one other aspect to a dynamic Tiger ahead line already that includes spearheads Riewoldt and Tom Lynch, plus Shai Bolton, Dustin Martin and a litany of different choices.
The Tigers have been the AFL’s highest-scoring facet throughout the 2022 home-and-away season, averaging over 98 factors a match.
However, the transfer has led to scepticism from some corners: with 16 majors throughout his final 5 seasons, Cotchin has by no means been a famend goalkicker, which polarising media commentator and former nice Kane Cornes was solely too fast to level out on Twitter.
However, Riewoldt is assured Cotchin, who wants simply 13 extra matches to turn out to be the sixth Tiger to achieve the 300-game milestone, can adapt to the problem.
“Good footballers play good football in any position, and Trent’s a great of our club and a great footballer,” he mentioned.
Hopper and Taranto’s arrival in final 12 months’s commerce interval has established the Tigers as one of many favourites for the 2022 premiership, with the pair anticipated to deal with the membership’s long-term stoppage vulnerability.
