TIGERS DEFEND VICKERYRICHMOND captain Trent Cotchin has leapt to the defence of former teammate Ty Vickery.
The Tiger-turned-Hawk has copped a social media barrage after Hawthorn's winless start to the season and after being a late withdrawal with injury before Monday's loss to Geelong.
However, Cotchin and Tigers great Matthew Richardson said Vickery's treatment had gone too far.
"The reality is, Ty is a fantastic person, he's been given another opportunity at another football club, granted they haven't won a game yet," Cotchin said.
"I don't think you can rest results on one individual. That's the beauty of our team game, it's 22 that need to come together and perform on game day and even during the week.
"He's a great person, he obviously wants to perform at his best. It's not like he's sitting there trying not to perform.
"The way I look at it is everyone's entitled to an opinion, and everyone has one. Just like armpits, some stink, some don't."
Earlier, Richardson said social media could have a significant impact on players and slammed the abuse aimed at the key forward.
"He's gone to a new club, he's injured, he'd love to be out there trying to show his wares in the forward line (but) Hawthorn are hardly playing great footy," he said on 3AW.
"I mean, Jack Gunston's struggling to get a kick in the forward line.
"I just reckon the memes about Vickery at the moment are too harsh and I don't think people realise the effect that can have on the individual."
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