Cotchin’s praise for family help

TRENT Cotchin paid tribute to his immediate family after he emerged from the darkest period of his career to become a premiership captain.

The Tigers star has had an extraordinary 12 months, retrospectively handed the 2012 Brownlow Medal and now the captain of the 2017 premiers.

But last year he was under siege with criticism of his captaincy and game style so withering his wife was forced to defend him on social media.

After two exceptional lead-up finals, Cotchin was less eye-catching in the decider, with 21 possessions and four tackles, but his leadership had united a Tigers side that might once have fractured.

He said his family had stuck by him through the hard times and was glad they could bask in the glory of premiership success.

“Look, they go through a lot, they go through just as much as you do if not more. We are trained to deal with some of the crap that goes with being an AFL player,” he said.

“There are 22 that play on the field week-in and week-out but there is so much that goes on behind the scenes that is important.

“This is pretty special, it’s still a little bit weird, you don’t know how to feel, you don’t know how to think, but it’s pretty special.”

Only ruckman Ivan Maric will retire of Richmond’s elder brigade, with Cotchin confident the Tigers will not fade away after such an astounding rise to the premiership.

“It’s funny, the rise from 13th has been a part of the story but not once have we thought about where we finished last year. It was all about the journey ahead and the here and now,” he said. “The present is a gift and we enjoyed it.”

Now at just 27 he will set his sights on multiple premierships as premiership captain, just a year after the critics wondered if he deserved the mantle as Richmond skipper.