Tigers going out there to hunt in flag defence says Cotchin (afl site)

[one-eyed]

Cotchin's simple message to avoid premiership hangover

AFL.com.au
4 November 2017

RICHMOND will be "going out there to hunt" in 2018 in an effort to defend its flag and stave off any chance of a premiership hangover, captain Trent Cotchin says.

The Tigers' full list returned to pre-season training on Monday and took a moment to acknowledge their drought-breaking premiership before hitting the track in the rain at Punt Road Oval.

Cotchin said the Tigers had a unique group with improvement in it, and he knew the players would do the hard work required to avoid a slide in 2018.

"Our mentality will be that we're going out there to hunt, as it was through 2017," Cotchin said on Monday morning.

"We created a really energetic and exciting environment from day one of pre-season last year and we're looking to do the same.

"If you look at all the outcomes, rather than what you can control, then obviously there's pressure.

"The outside will want us to crumble under that pressure, but the reality is we had a really consistent year in 2017 and we put some things in place and we continued to grow."

The Tigers' senior players on Monday joined their first-to-fourth-year teammates, who have been in training for the past week.

Vice-captain Jack Riewoldt and Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin were spotted at Punt Road Oval during their breaks getting a jump on pre-season training.

Riewoldt remained in Tasmania on Monday, hosting a group of young Tigers and draftees on a hiking trip, while defenders Jayden Short and Oleg Markov trained together away from the main group.

Grand Final hero Bachar Houli did not take part in the session.

Asked about where Richmond's improvement would come from in 2018, Cotchin said the club's young talent held the key.

"Over the next two months we'll have a really good idea of where guys are at," the captain said.

"I have no doubt there's a lot of talent that didn't quite get enough senior opportunity last year that will push for selection early days and probably hold a spot as well.

"We brought new talent in that we're looking forward to developing, and our experienced guys, while they're older, there's still a lot of youth there as well."

With coach Damien Hardwick on holiday with his family, Richmond's assistants ran Monday's session.

Hardwick visited his junior football club at the weekend with the Tigers' 2017 premiership cup, predicting a shake-up of the team's flag-winning game style next year to stay ahead of the competition.

Cotchin said there would also be a goal for Richmond to keep doing what it already does better than the competition.

"I think if you look back at some of the successful teams in the past, everyone knew what Hawthorn were trying to do going into games, but the reality is they were better than other teams at doing it," he said.

"That's the focus for us, to improve and go again."

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-12-04/tigers-going-out-there-to-hunt-says-cotchin

[one-eyed]

Speaking at training on Monday Trent Cotchin said the club was ready "to hunt" the opposition again like they did in 2017.

Richmond's training resumption – along with beaten grand finalists Adelaide and finalists Sydney – means all AFL clubs have started their journeys to the 2018 premiership.

Most of Richmond's senior list was present on Monday - including Dustin Martin - however Jack Riewoldt, Nick Vlaustin, Toby Nankervis and Shane Edwards were hiking Tasmania's Overland Track with some of the club's new draftees.

This year, the Tigers will be the hunted but Cotchin said their attitude wouldn't be changing.

"We're going out there to hunt as we did in 2017," he said.

"We created a really energetic and exciting environment from day one of pre-season and we're looking to do the same.

"The outside will want us to crumble under that pressure, but the reality is we had a really consistent year in 2017.

"We put some things in place and we continued to grow.

"The foundations that we created last year, if we can continue to build on those and repeat the sort of effort and intensity, that will hold us in good stead."

As was always going to be the case, Cotchin found himself addressing the notion of a premiership hangover just weeks after the club's first flag in 37 years.

The Bulldogs found life tough after their 2016 success but Cotchin said the Tigers wouldn't try and avoid those pitfalls.

"Without being inside four walls, you don't know how they approached it," he said.

"I don't know if it's a premiership hangover. For whatever reason some clubs don't perform to the level that's expected the year following.

"Everyone's different. That's the beauty of our group. We're unique and we'll find our own way forward.

"There will be challenges, there goes a lot of luck into winning premierships but there's also a lot of hard work and we look forward to sinking our teeth into that."

Cotchin guaranteed there would be "no issues where guys are coming back unfit" ahead of day one at Punt Road, though he was unsure just where he lay after an off-season of celebration.

"I'll see when I'm out there with the boys ... I've worked on the tan so that always helps when you run out there and the fitness coach is looking at you."

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/captain-trent-cotchin-vows-richmond-will-find-our-own-way-forward-as-reigning-afl-premiers-20171204-gzy1hg.html

[Yeahright]

"The outside will want us to crumble under that pressure,

I hope they bang on about this all year because nothing more true has come out of the club. Will hopefully give them some motivation