New generation of Tigers will turbocharge club‘s three-peat aspirationsJon Ralph
HeraldSun
23 February 2021Trent Cotchin says the new generation of Tigers will turbocharge the club‘s three-peat aspirations as he described new father-son recruit Maurice Rioli’s best as “electrifying”.
The three-time premiership captain yesterday said Richmond’s stars were showing no signs of complacency and being driven by the kids who missed out in last year’s premiership.
The likes of Thomson Dow, Jack Ross, Riley Collier-Dawkins, Callum Coleman-Jones and Mabior Chol will all push for regular game time in a Tigers side likely to miss several triple premiership players in Round 1.
Bachar Houli (calf) is unlikely to be ready after an interrupted summer, while a recent low-grade hamstring injury for Dion Prestia will also put him in doubt.
Prestia yesterday signed on for another three years at Richmond, extending his contract until 2024, while star defender Dylan Grimes was locked in until 2023.
But a Tigers side that has lost Jack Higgins and Oleg Markov to rival sides will need reinforcements to come from their younger brigade.
Cotchin has no doubt they are capable after the club’s first practice match on Saturday.
He says their emergence is only one of the reasons the Tigers have a chance at a third consecutive premiership.
“Looking back to the Grand final we didn’t play our best footy in the first half. We had a couple of injuries, so trying guys in different roles has been interesting through the pre-season and even in our practice match on Saturday, someone like Dowey was exceptional and other midfielders, half backs and wings put their hand up.
“It was almost the thing I was most proud of last year, the way those guys attacked the season. They didn’t really get a good crack at it in hub life. They were playing 10 v 10 and 12 v 12 and seeing their growth was really impressive and something that will hold us in good stead moving forward.”
Maurice Rioli’s cameos this summer have been breathtaking, even if he will ease into the season through the VFL as he works on his training loads.
“He is electrifying. He has got a lot of talent, a lot of those Rioli traits but he is also his own person,” Cotchin said.
“There have been a couple of times where he’s had to chase-down tackle where someone quick has got the footy and even he makes up five or 10 metres.
“The key is not to put too much pressure on guys who are coming into a pretty well-oiled system but hopefully he’s picking up the expectations of him as a player and as a Richmond man and that holds him in good stead in the early parts of his career.”
Cotchin said as the only premiership captain of a Grand Final played at night he favoured tradition as the league considers a decision on the start time for this year’s decider.
“(I would prefer) 2.30pm, because given my bed time is pretty early in the night. I got back to the hotel at 1am or 1.30am and I wasn’t far off bed and I didn’t get to really celebrate it with the boys.
“I always love the sun out but I can understand it from a ratings point of view and from an atmosphere point of view it was pretty cool.”
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/geelong-defender-lachie-henderson-says-some-passages-of-play-will-be-undefendable-under-new-man-on-the-mark-rules/news-story/58d8d8cb36bfb9143376827b86ed58d1
