The Tiger King: Leading contenders to take up captaincy after legend’s decision to step downDavid Zita
Fox Sports
September 15th, 2021 12:05 pmFor the first time in nearly a decade, Richmond will have to appoint a new permanent captain, with club legend Trent Cotchin announcing he’s stepping down from the role ahead of 2022.
The 31-year-old captained the side for 188 of his 268 games (with more to come next year) - the most of any player in the club’s history.
There are a few options for the club to consider for its next captain ahead of 2022 - foxfooty.com.au breaks down the five most likely contenders.
JACK GRAHAMA heart-and-soul midfielder who knocked back rival offers to remain at Tigerland on a three-year deal at the end of last year.
At 23 years of age, Graham is a two-time premiership player who thrives in the contest and has gradually cemented a midfield spot after being left out of the squad’s 2019 premiership side.
As a junior, he captained South Australia in the Under-18 Championships and won the Larke Medal for being the competition’s best player.
While playing only 16 games in 2020, Graham led the club for tackles, a sign of his defensive integrity and willingness to apply pressure.
If the Tigers opt for a long-term captain rather than a veteran to hold the fort over the next two-to-three years, Graham looks the clubhouse leader.
“I haven’t thought too much about it, I do like to think I’ve got some leadership qualities,” Graham said on SEN Breakfast at the start of the year when asked about the captaincy.
“At the moment at Richmond there’s so much leadership floating around with Cotch (Trent Cotchin), Shane Edwards, (Jack) Riewoldt, Grimesy (Dylan Grimes), (Kane) Lambert … the list goes on.
“I’m just happy to sit back and just learn off these guys.”
DUSTIN MARTINIf you go by the logic that the best player is the best captain, Dustin Martin is a shoe-in.
There’s perhaps no player in the modern era (or any era) that has led the way with his actions more than Martin, a three-time Norm Smith Medallist.
If the Tigers are looking for someone to embody the values and lessons imparted by Cotchin, Martin looms as a great choice too given the close relationship between the pair, with Martin repeatedly pointing to Cotchin as one of the reasons he’s been able to get the best out of himself as a player and person.
Already a player with an extraordinary aura, Martin as a captain would only add to the mystique surrounding one of the game’s greatest ever performers.
The issue is he’ll turn 31 next year and, despite potentially playing for a few more years, isn’t as long-term an option as nominees in their mid 20s.
JACK RIEWOLDTAt 32 years of age and at this stage signed on until the end of next year, Riewoldt is not a long-term option, but as the current vice-captain could be a great choice to help educate the next long-term skipper in a dual leadership role.
Like Cotchin, Riewoldt’s evolution as a player has been central to the club’s premiership dynasty - none of his three Coleman Medal wins came in premiership years, which is an indication of the selflessness and team-first role he has played in the three successful flag campaigns.
Riewoldt himself offered a response to him potentially taking over from Cotchin on Tuesday night’s AFL 360.
“I‘ve always thought with leadership, I’m just at the beck and call of what the club thinks. I was nearly at the point at the start of this year that I thought maybe it was time for me to step aside as a vice-captain to allow that next person to come through,” he said.
“For the last couple of years it’s been sort of me and Trent as captain and vice-captain, but we’ve got a really big group under us.
“You look at (Tom) Lynch, Grimes, they’re sort of that next group of leaders, but do you go to them and you might get three or four years out of those guys or do you possibly go back to the maybe not the 23-year-old but maybe the kid that’s 25, 26 that’s shown signs that you think can push into the next sort of good chunk of leadership.
“We’ve got plenty of guys we can choose from which we’re very lucky to have.”
NICK VLASTUINIf the Tigers are looking for a long-term option, then Vlastuin has to be at the front of the queue alongside Graham.
He’ll be 28 at the start of next season and was Vic Metro’s under-18 captain back in 2012 and was handed the captaincy for a brief moment in a pre-season match in 2016.
This year, he signed a mammoth contract that will keep him at Tigerland until at least the end of 2026.
He’s one of the best interceptors in the game but was derailed by injury for a fair chunk of the 2021 season.
He finished third in the club’s best and fairest count in last year’s premiership campaign and was brutally knocked out early in the Grand Final win over Geelong, putting his body on the line as he has on countless occasions.
His importance to the side will only grow now with the departures of Bachar Houli and David Astbury.
DYLAN GRIMESAlong with Martin, Grimes will turn 31 during next season, so isn’t a long-term option. Still, there are few players more influential to the Tigers’ success than the key defender.
An intercept marking machine alongside Vlastuin, Grimes was an All-Australian in the side’s 2019 premiership campaign and finished third in the best and fairest count that year.
He’s been part of all three flags this century for Richmond and stepped almost seamlessly into the void left by Alex Rance’s departure at the end of 2019 and his absence throughout that year given his ACL rupture.
If he is elected skipper, it will be much-deserved for a player who has given his all since arriving at the club in the 2009 pre-season draft.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/richmond-tigers/afl-news-2021-richmond-next-captain-trent-cotchin-stepping-down-retiring-contract-jack-graham-dustin-martin-jack-riewoldt-nick-vlastuin-dylan-grimes/news-story/3a7c78e8b8ec0579283aea87749e054c
