His game wasn't great on Saturday night because he had 39 touches, it was great because of the way he played the inside role rather standing out the back getting the cheap kicks and dinking them to someone 8 metres away. It was great because of the way he organised others, directed rather standing with hands on hips like he did at the crucial times in round 2. And actually that's what Hodge does even when he is a having a poor day, that's one of the things that makes him a good leader.
Couldn't agree more with that.
No one questions Cotchin's ability to play football. He is a massive talent. That does not make him a good captain. The expectation of what a captain brings to a game is much more and it needs to be brought every week.
I wouldn't hang my hat as a Richmond supporter on a 39 possession game with a sub 60% efficiency rate against what was essentially a WAFL side. BUT for the reasons WP pointed out, he had a very good game as captain. Challenge now is to repeat that consistently against better opposition. Not the 39 possessions as a few are fixated on but the standard of performance as a leader.
Personally, I think half his problem is the coach, the stupidity of the game plan and his struggle to sell it to his teammates or even understand it himself. Its a counter-intuitive way of playing football when the players are asked to play against their instincts. Its not surprising that they crack under pressure when forced to make quick decisions. There was little pressure on the weekend.