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Hodge defends under-fire Tigers skipperHerald-Sun
6 April 2016CHAMPION Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge has defended Trent Cotchin and recalled the night the under-fire Tigers’ skipper showcased a more physical edge to his captaincy.
Hodge said Cotchin had been unfairly criticised for his leadership in the wake of Richmond’s underwhelming start to the season but was adamant the Tigers’ captain was “only going to grow and get better in the role”.
Hodge, who is regarded as one of the greatest captains of the modern era, said Cotchin was instrumental in the Tigers’ 18-point win over Hawthorn Round 18 last year, when the Richmond skipper barrelled straight into Hodge and Sam Mitchell at the opening bounce.
Hodge said although Cotchin wasn’t a naturally physical player, the opening bounce bumps set the tone for the rest of his Richmond teammates in the upset win over the Hawks at the MCG.
“As far as ‘Cotch’ goes, I think he is getting the hard end (of the debate),” Hodge said on Triple M.
“When we played against them last year I saw a bloke — who is not naturally a physical person — who had come out of himself.
“For what his team needed, I thought he was putting his team ahead of himself and I think he is only going to grow and get better.”
Hodge said he was slightly surprised by Cotchin’s opening bounce physicality, saying “I think the comment was to him (at the time) ‘where have you been?’
“But I think a captain needs to find out what his team needs at that time and that night definitely he needed to be more physical,” he said.
“And they (Tigers) ended up beating us that night, and you could sort of see the rest of the team follow him.”
Cotchin has been criticised for failing to show leadership in the crucial final minutes of the Tigers’ one-point loss to Collingwood on Friday night, which continues a string of close Richmond losses in recent years.
Spearhead Jack Riewoldt is widely touted as a potential Richmond captain but has not been voted in the club’s leadership group in the past two seasons.
Hodge said Cotchin must be the club’s best captaincy candidate on and off the field.
“People have been talking about Jack Riewolt and he seems like a very good leader on the field,” Hodge said.
“But I guess as far as Cotch goes he gets voted in because he does everything around the football club that they see. The people that know best are the people around the football club.”
Cotchin and Hodge’s four-time premiership teammate Sam Mitchell finished equal second in the 2012 Brownlow Medal count won by suspended Bomber Jobe Watson.
When asked if Mitchell should receive the medal in the event Watson had to hand it back, Hodge said “you don’t want to strip it off Jobe”.
“I know if you speak to Mitch, whatever happened in the past happened and he can’t do much about it,” Hodge said.
“All he (Mitchell) is worried about is what he can handle at this stage, so whatever happens with that (Brownlow) I don’t think the players are too fussed.
“It’s hard to know, because with the Essendon inner sanctum you don’t know what happened there.
“If the AFL gives it (Brownlow Medal) to them, I think they’ve got to accept it, but I don’t think Mitch or Cotch are holding their breath.
“I think they are worried about the now. That was three or four years ago and it was in the past.”
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/luke-hodge-defends-richmond-captain-trent-cotchin-after-tigers-slow-start-to-the-afl-season/news-story/06fe94e501902f906eff357544d66024
