Tiger Coughlan agrees to new deal
10:00:17 PM Thu 27 May, 2004
Matt Burgan
afl.com.au
Sportal
Outstanding Richmond youngster Mark Coughlan has agreed to a new three-year contract which will keep him at Tigerland until at least the end of the 2007 season.
Coughlan, one of Richmond’s finest recruits of recent seasons, won the Jack Dyer Medal in 2003 after finishing third in the club best-and-fairest award in 2002.
Richmond director of football Greg Miller said the club was absolutely delighted to re-sign the 22 year-old who possesses 'leadership qualities'.
It's understood Coughlan has received plenty of interest from the Western Australian-based clubs, but Miller said the former Perth boy, who was drafted at No.25 in the 2000 National AFL Draft, had shown 'good faith' to remain at Richmond.
“He’s signed a three-year deal with the club, which is outstanding news for us,” Miller told Sportal.
Coughlan, who has played just five matches this season and missed the past four games due to osteitis pubis, is expected to return to senior football in the next 2-4 weeks.
But Miller said the extent of the injury would not hold him back from being a decade player at Punt Rd.
“We’ve spent a lot of time with the medical staff and we believe that he has at least 10 more seasons of AFL football in him,” Miller said.
Coughlan has played 47 games since making his debut against Geelong in round nine 2001.
He was the Tigers’ leading possession winner in 2003, and was an AFL Rising Star nominee in 2002.
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