One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on August 16, 2012, 01:57:41 AM
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Greatest of all Tigers
Jake Niall
The Age
August 16, 2012
Young Richmond star Trent Cotchin is the best of the modern breed.
RICHMOND'S administration believes the club's progress has long been stymied by what it refers to as a "Messiah complex." The Tigers don't want to repeat the pattern of making one individual — player, coach or president — "the one" who will deliver them from decades of mediocrity.
Hence, it was a touch surprising to hear Damien Hardwick, in an unguarded moment, compare Trent Cotchin to Chris Judd and Wayne Carey, players who were regarded as Messiahs.
But in speaking of Cotchin's abilities, Hardwick was on safe ground. Cotchin isn't prone to getting ahead of himself. The coach might be reluctant to praise Jack Riewoldt for kicking 10, knowing that Jack can enjoy the adulation. He doesn't have to worry about how Cotchin will receive high praise, criticism or hype.
Hardwick also happened to be speaking the truth. Cotchin is comparable to Judd at around the same age, and his range of talents — ball-winning, evasion, balance, skills on both sides — are similar to Gary Ablett's. He is en route to becoming the most accomplished player to have represented Richmond since the great Kevin Bartlett.
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No Richmond player since KB has seemed quite as unstoppable and consistent as Cotchin, who leads the AFL Coaches Association's award and, if the umpires are willing to give votes to a team that loses in the last two minutes, will be among the placegetters in the Brownlow.
Like most champion onballers, Bartlett's greatness lay in his high possession rate and constancy of output. The same is true of Cotchin, who has Bartlett's knack for playing forward, but would never be labelled hungry.
Of the players who have shone brightest since Bartlett, Matthew Richardson is easily the people's favourite — the one who gave the fans a reason to keep turning up. But Cotchin is well-placed to overhaul "Richo", since he has few obvious weaknesses. He kicks either foot, can win the ball in close, marks strongly overhead and has a turn of speed. While not as explosive as Judd or Ablett junior, he still runs 20 metres in under three seconds, the benchmark for "quick" in the contemporary AFL.
Triple Brownlow medallist Ian Stewart defined the ability "to stand up in heavy traffic and make a decision" as the difference between very good and "great" players — read midfielders. Cotchin passes the Stewart test, having a gift for making the right split-second calls with the ball while under duress.
Richardson, who played two seasons with the teenage Cotchin, reckons the midfielder will improve further in the coming years, given that injuries to his Achilles have limited his training load. "His fitness will only get better," Richardson said. "He's only done one [full] pre-season."
Richardson has been impressed by Cotchin's ability to play as a forward. "I didn't realise how good he could be as a deep forward taking marks." An assistant coach from a rival club suggested that this ability to mark and kick goals as a forward might eventually see Cotchin surpass Judd in his prime.
Dale Weightman, like Richardson, spent most of his 274-game career in poor teams. Weightman, now Richmond's relationships manager, predicted Cotchin's prospects of playing in superior Richmond sides would help him rise further in due course. "He is only going to get better when we get stronger as a group," Weightman said. "He has got virtually all the ingredients to be one of the all-time greats of Richmond."
Weightman nominated three players as standouts from his time at Tigerland: Bartlett, Geoff Raines and Richardson (Royce Hart was before his time). Raines won three best and fairests (1978, 1980-81) in a relatively strong Richmond era, but his exit to Collingwood and subsequent career at Essendon and Brisbane has eroded his standing.
Cotchin will win his second best and fairest this year and, barring significant injury, should end up with several Jack Dyer medals. He will be the next Richmond captain when Chris Newman finishes.
Bartlett won five best and fairests, played 403 games and booted a staggering 778 goals. He played in five premierships. But he wasn't the Messiah because the Tigers had Francis Bourke, Hart, Kevin Sheedy, idiot Clay et al sharing the billing.
Cotchin, similarly, isn't the answer at Punt Road. Just a large part of it.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/greatest-of-all-tigers-20120815-24970.html#ixzz23dAtooU0
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:banghead
what hope have we got. No messiah complex? :banghead
we are doomed.
WE NEED MICK!
Mick, and Mick alone, the chosen one, can lead us to the promised land :bow
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No Richmond player since KB has seemed quite as unstoppable and consistent as Cotchin, who leads the AFL Coaches Association's award and, if the umpires are willing to give votes to a team that loses in the last two minutes, will be among the placegetters in the Brownlow.
I hear a lot of media say not this year for Cotch, we haven't won enough games...
Gary Ablett was one of the brownlow favourites last year playing for a side that was smashed most weeks and still got votes.
We haven't been smashed in any games, he could easily get 3 votes in games we've lost by under 20 points.
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If he polls 2s and 3s in the next 3 games I think he will be a fair dinkim chance.
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Haven't had a tied count for a while
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If he polls 2s and 3s in the next 3 games I think he will be a fair dinkim chance.
Agree Dwaino, I think he is still a tad shy but 3 good voting games to finish will put him right in the mix.
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I'd love to see what the odds would be for him winning one over his career
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I look forward to Cotchin becoming a victim of his own standards.
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Would be nice to have a few more like him
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wouldn't it ever, but he's a rare talent. I'm grateful just for the one.
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No Richmond player since KB has seemed quite as unstoppable and consistent as Cotchin, who leads the AFL Coaches Association's award and, if the umpires are willing to give votes to a team that loses in the last two minutes, will be among the placegetters in the Brownlow.
I hear a lot of media say not this year for Cotch, we haven't won enough games...
Gary Ablett was one of the brownlow favourites last year playing for a side that was smashed most weeks and still got votes.
We haven't been smashed in any games, he could easily get 3 votes in games we've lost by under 20 points.
Good post. I just don't think the media can get their head around a Tiger player being capable of winning a Brownlow.
Unfortunately I'm not convinced the umpires are yet either. :P
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Reckon they undersold how good "the flea" was. He was a out and out champion. Richo was the people's champion. Whilst he stood head and shoulders above all those around him, he was not the messiah. No player is the messiah. The great GR was our last messiah.....let's hope that Benny Gale is our new Messiah.........go get em tigers...........our time is near
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Reckon they undersold how good "the flea" was. He was a out and out champion.
Yeah every time I watched Flea play for the Big V he was just about BOG. Skilled, smart & tough.
I'd still take Cotch in front of him though. 8) :)
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Tigers just have to do everything possible to get the best team together - leadership, environment, culture.
Until recently with say Delidio, Martin or Cotchin being the exceptions - we have not developed a base of "guns" at the club. Or players leave our system and go elsewhere and succeed - like Ottens. We have good average players - but how many of them would get a spot in a starting line up at Top 4 Club ?
Tigers can recruit all they like - but prefer they fix the structures to develop exceptional players as well
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Reckon they undersold how good "the flea" was. He was a out and out champion.
Yeah every time I watched Flea play for the Big V he was just about BOG. Skilled, smart & tough.
I'd still take Cotch in front of him though. 8) :)
Hope Cotch can deliver on the big stage as the flea did on a regular basis. Cotch has more skill and I'm sure his time in the sun is not far away. They just have to make sure they have quality around him. The bourse Barrett clay centerline should be no match for cotchin deledio Martin. Happy days ahead I see.
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ah the FLEA could cut up
teams with his handballs. :thumbsup
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Flea, rowlings, Rioli, Wiley - they were a good midfield
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Yessss the BIG PAPPI!!!!! :clapping
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Reckon they undersold how good "the flea" was. He was a out and out champion. Richo was the people's champion. Whilst he stood head and shoulders above all those around him, he was not the messiah. No player is the messiah. The great GR was our last messiah.....let's hope that Benny Gale is our new Messiah.........go get em tigers...........our time is near
GR did a lot of great things but he was running the joint for years and was a prime mover and shaker behind the scenes in the great trade wars with Collingwood which nearly bankrupted our club and left us now with over 30 years without a flag.
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yep, his autocratic style took us to the top, and then led us into the abyss.
I was glad to read the recent article that the club is over the messiah complex and understand that a team effort is what will build sustained success rather than one mans efforts alone.
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Was it in 1980 that the Tigers had 3 leading 100 goal kickers in seniors, reserves and under 19's? I think it was Roach, Taylor and Lane but Mark Jackson may have kicked 100 as well.
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Was it in 1980 that the Tigers had 3 leading 100 goal kickers in seniors, reserves and under 19's? I think it was Roach, Taylor and Lane but Mark Jackson may have kicked 100 as well.
Yep it was 1980 and it was Roach , Jackson and Lane. Have a feeling Jackson might've kicked a big ton. 120+ goals ?
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jacko kicked a ton in the 2's in 80. I think he had kicked a ton in the u/19s previously.
i wonder if he could have played CHF with roach (or taylor) at FF?
He was a nut case, but you wonder how different he would have been had he been part of a succesful club rather than moving to Melbourne.
taylor and roach in the same forward line just never gelled. perhaps we should have sent taylor to Mt Buller instead?
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Who cares about a Brownlow don't want any brownlow blues next year. Keep the limelight off us until we are in the better half of the competition.
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If we are not playing finals then a Brownlow means the supporters have something to hope about for the last 30 years!
(Sorry Lids but the rising star was ok but not as good as a brownlow!)
It also lifts the other players around the club - knowing they are playing with someone "special"
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after 1980 what happened to this club is
a travesty.
we could have been dominate through
the 80's if we hung onto those players.
oh well i think we have been
punished enuff as supporters. :thumbsup