Trent Cotchin wants Tigers' finals pain to 'burn in the gut' Jon Pierik
The Age
September 9, 2014 As Richmond turns its attention to list management, captain Trent Cotchin wants the pain of another brief finals series to ensure the Tigers have a "burning desire" for redemption next season.
Still coming to terms with a stinging 57-point loss to Port Adelaide in Sunday's elimination final, Cotchin took time out from the club's Mad Monday celebration to make clear it was crucial his team understood how precious finals campaigns were.
The Tigers have been crunched on the opening weekend of the finals in successive years, having fallen to a resurgent Carlton after half-time last year.
"That [loss to the Power] will live with us over summer and, hopefully, now we have been in the position twice, the boys are now really starting to understand that opportunities don't come around a lot," Cotchin said.
"We had to work really hard to get that opportunity this year but we need to make sure that that has that little bit of burning desire sitting in your gut throughout the pre-season, going into next season."
Cotchin, who became more vocal and demanding on individuals as a captain as the season unfolded, will seek greater accountability over summer. Ruckman Ivan Maric revealed in July the "training standards and standards around the footy club" the Tigers had set last year had slipped to the mid-point of the season, when the club's leadership group and coach Damien Hardwick dealt with the issue.
Having slumped to 3-10, the Tigers would enjoy a nine-game surge leading into the finals before they were flattened by a hostile Power at Adelaide Oval.
Cotchin said the year's events would help the Tigers in the long term.
"We didn't start the year exactly how we wanted to. We showed a lot of resolve to get back up and win some games," he said.
"We take some confidence going into finals. Obviously, we didn't perform yesterday but there are a lot of lessons we have learnt throughout this year that I think will hold us in good stead."
Moving on could also yet feature a prominent name from a rival club, with football operations boss Dan Richardson revealing mid-year the Tigers had room in their salary cap to poach key talent.
Cotchin said it was going to be a "tough" pre-season, with the Tigers to go "about driving those behaviours and standards that you can't afford to let slip at any stage".
He again defended his decision to kick against the breeze in the first term on Sunday after winning the toss.
"It probably just wasn't my decision. Jack (Riewoldt) and the forwards discuss it as well," he said.
"I don't think the wind was a big (factor), I think it was more just that they were willing to outwork and outhunt us in the early stages.
"We probably coughed the ball up, which let them get it out on the outside. They (Power) kicked 7.1 or 8.1 in the first quarter, which is very straight kicking. A lead like that in the first quarter of a final is always hard to grind back."
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/trent-cotchin-wants-tigers-finals-pain-to-burn-in-the-gut-20140908-10dzcx.html
