Richmond's Trent Cotchin out to break Brownlow hoodoo Michael Manley
From: Herald Sun
September 24, 2012 5:15PMPEOPLE crack jokes about Richmond's inability to make the eight, let alone win a premiership, but there is an even bigger Tigers hoodoo - the Brownlow Medal.
The Tigers have won just five Brownlows and have the longest drought of the established clubs - a whopping 41 years. The Tigers' last premiership was 32 years ago.
In order to win the 1971 Brownlow, Richmond had to recruit Ian Stewart, who already had two to his name at St Kilda.
Even Fitzroy could claim a Brownlow in 1981. The next-longest drought with the exception of interstate clubs is North Melbourne (1983).
This year, the Tigers are hoping to break through with equal favourite Trent Cotchin.
While the Tigers' overall Brownlow Medal record is poor, when it comes to Brownlow favourites it is nothing short of disastrous.
Cotchin will be following in the footsteps of two other Tiger centreman, Geoff Raines and Wayne Campbell, who started Brownlow favourites but on the night were never in contention.
In 1980, pretty boy Geoff Raines was all the pre-Brownlow rage. He was the centreman in a team which subsequently won the flag and he also went on to win the Tigers' best-and-fairest.
Raines was sensationally backed into Brownlow favouritism and some declared he was past the post.
In the finish in one of the more perplexing Brownlow results of all time he received no votes.
Fifteen years later another Tiger onballer in Wayne Campbell was red-hot before the count.
He received nine votes.
In the 1970s Kevin Bartlett started favourite several times and managed a second and a third. In 1974 he was an odds-on favourite and he finished third behind Keith Greig.
Even Tiger players running a place has been a rare event in recent years. When Matthew Richardson finished third in 2008 he was the first Tiger to have run a place since Maurice Rioli finished second in 1983.
So over to you, Trent Cotchin.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/brownlow/richmonds-trent-cotchin-out-to-break-brownlow-hoodoo/story-fn422eni-1226480453050
