Collingwood legend Mick McGuane says the words NO Richmond fan wants to hear about Trent Cotchin: ‘We’re watching the last few months of his storied career’
- Trent Cotchin turned 32 in April and is approaching the end of his career
- Richmond star won three premierships as captain for the Tigers in four years
- Cotchin was selected with the second overall pick in the 2007 national draft
- The 2012 Brownlow Medallist has played 280 games for the Tigers
Collingwood legend Mick McGuane believes Trent Cotchin’s AFL career is approaching the end of the road and has urged Richmond to move on from their star.
The former Tigers skipper won three premierships with Richmond in four years, before relinquishing the captaincy after eight seasons at the end of the 2021 season.
Cotchin turned 32 in April and is one of seven Tigers stalwarts on the wrong side of 30, along with Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt and Shane Edwards.
Trent Cotchin has entered the final stretch of his AFL career, according to Mick McGuane
McGuane believes Cotchin is not quite the dominant player he once was and persisting with him could hinder the progression of some of the talented youngsters the Tigers have in their ranks.
‘As a three-time premiership captain, Trent Cotchin is a revered person at Punt Rd and has still played some reasonable football this season,’ he wrote in his column on the Herald Sun.
‘However, it looks like we are watching the last few months of his decorated career.
The 32-year-old (right) won three premierships in four years as Tigers captain
The second overall pick of the 2007 national draft, Cotchin was the 2012 Brownlow Medallist and a three-time Richmond’s best-and-fairest
‘The Tigers need to move on and give some of their younger midfielders some more midfield minutes, with a large crop of players having been starved of opportunity in recent years.’
Cotchin has played 280 games for the Tigers since he was selected with the second overall pick of the 2007 national draft and was the Brownlow Medallist in 2012, earning his only All-Australian nomination in the same year.
A three-time Richmond’s best-and-fairest, the star midfielder was an instrumental figure of the Tigers team that ended a 37-year drought-breaking premiership in 2017 and then triumphed again in 2019 and 2020.
A legend in the eyes of Richmond fans, Cotchin has played 280 games for the Tigers
Cotchin averages 21.7 disposals, 10.4. kicks and 2.7 marks per game this season, with all three figures below his career average.
McGuane added that while Martin and Riewoldt show no sign of slowing down with age, Edwards should also be phased out by the Tigers.
‘Shane Edwards has fought back from a slow start to the season but it would also be right to call time on his illustrious career at almost 34 years of age,’ he wrote.
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