Cotchin on track for early return (Herald-Sun)

[one-eyed]

Cotchin on track for early return
Jon Ralph | March 11, 2008

RICHMOND'S No. 2 draft pick Trent Cotchin is just weeks from returning to football after a pre-season sitting on the sidelines with achilles soreness.

The highly-rated Cotchin took the first steps towards senior football on Friday when he ran for the first time as a Tiger after overcoming complications with a broken foot.

Now Richmond says he is on track for a return as early as Round 2 in the VFL, when Cotchin becomes eligible to play after being taken off the long-term injury list.

He will not be rushed into the seniors, but the news is a massive boost for the Tigers after speculation Cotchin might be put on ice for the entire season.

Rival recruiters said Cotchin was clearly the best midfielder in the 2007 draft.

The Tigers are building to full strength for their Round 1 clash with Carlton on Easter Thursday, when Richmond is determined to make a fast start against a Carlton side with Chris Judd making his Blues debut.

The Tigers have made a pre-season theme of derailing Carlton's momentum after a season of good vibes for the Blues.

Cotchin will need to build fitness, but football director Greg Miller said the club was buoyed by his progress.

"He ran on Friday and pulled up really well. He is progressing well and feeling really good. He has three or four weeks of preparation now before Round 2 in the VFL (Round 3 of the AFL season), which is when he is eligible to come back."

Miller said 18-year-old Cotchin had been immensely frustrated by sitting out the pre-season. "It's been a long road for him. He has high expectations of himself."

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23353254-19742,00.html

[mightytiges]

Great news      .

As long as he comes back 100% right that's all that matters.

[Jacosh]

 
agree MT, dont rush him just get him right.

[torch]

yes, great news ...

[1965]

my tomato (sauce) says round 5

 

[mightytiges]

my tomato (sauce) says round 5

 

AFL debut?

I was told today Cotch would play in Coburg's first or second game  .

[one-eyed]

Sugar says Cotch will be back by round 7 or 8

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Johnson said his housemate, recruit Trent Cotchin was taking the first steps towards his recovery from ankle surgery.

“He’s had a fairly wretched run,” Johnson said. “He’s been down a fair bit but he looks like he’s back running now and hopefully they can build him up and give him a pre-season and be back by round seven or eight.”

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsId=56321

[WA Tiger]

It's just great to here that he will be back nice and early, I mean Kruezer will now miss round one so when you lok at it there will only be about 3-4 games of AFL between them, so we didn't miss out on much. I still think that Cotch will be a better long term prospect anyway!!

[richmondrules]

It's just great to here that he will be back nice and early, I mean Kruezer will now miss round one so when you lok at it there will only be about 3-4 games of AFL between them, so we didn't miss out on much. I still think that Cotch will be a better long term prospect anyway!!

It is good to hear WAT.

In the larger scheme of things I don't think this year is going to mean all that much to us in terms of results. A few week here or there is really unimportant in Cotch's overall development. What is important is we build a long term player and we don't en up with another Danny Meyer on our hands (no criticism of Danny intended).

[WA Tiger]

It is good to hear WAT.

In the larger scheme of things I don't think this year is going to mean all that much to us in terms of results. A few week here or there is really unimportant in Cotch's overall development. What is important is we build a long term player and we don't en up with another Danny Meyer on our hands (no criticism of Danny intended).
[/quote]

Thats dead right, I think too many people including the press seem to think that we have all these guys up and ready to play at the top level and that is not the case. Even Wallace has mentioned that it's JON's first real pre-season but people are ready to hang him and at 20 years of age. This team and it's young players need to develop together as a team and we need to stick fat!!

[one-eyed]

Author: Catherine Murphy
richmondfc.com.au
5:53 PM Tue 18 March, 2008

... the club’s first draft pick and No. 2 overall (Trent Cotchin) is progressing well in his recovery from an achilles complaint and should be off the long term injury list and available for action again in round three.

“He’s now pain free, he’s raring to go, but he’s got to do a pre-season," Wallace said.

"He has missed the pre-season which everyone else has been working on for the last three or four months so he’s got to start that process now.

"We’re not in a hurry. When you’ve got a player who’s 17 years of age and you believe they’re going to have a 10-year career plus at the footy club, whether he plays round one, round four or round 12 makes no difference to us.”

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsid=56506