Trent Cotchin

At 34 years old, Trent Cotchin has this physical status:

AFL career

In the 2007 AFL draft, Cotchin was drafted by Richmond with the club's first pick and second overall. He was given the number nine guernsey, which had been unused since former club captain Wayne Campbell's retirement at the end of the 2005 season. Cotchin began to recover his injured foot after joining the club, but he suffered from the consequences of an inflamed Achilles tendon on his second treadmill run. He skipped much of the club's pre-season workouts and was instead forced to stick to swimming and bike sessions to maintain fitness. Cotchin returned to full fitness following round 1, but not able to play for another four weeks. He then played four games with Richmond's Victorian Football League (VFL) affiliate, Coburg. In a match against Geelong at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Cotchin made his senior debut in round 8 of the 2008 season (MCG). He had sixteen tackles and an equal number of goals, one of whom came with his first kick. In round 11, Cotchin obtained 17 possessions in Richmond's first half of the match against Adelaide. He had 25 disposals and a goal to his name in the game. Cotchin was nominated for round 12 by the AFL Rising Star Award for his further appearances. On his way to the nomination, he kicked a goal and gathered 14 possessions. After playing fifteen games, kick nine goals, and average 16.4 disposals per game, Cotchin did not miss a game on his first day since making his debut, winning fifteen games, kicking nine goals, and average 16.4 yards per game. He ended third in the AFL Rising Star Award with 21 votes, behind Hawthorn's Cyril Rioli (37 votes) and Fremantle's Rhys Palmer, who came in third with 44 votes.

In the pre-season and early stages of Cotchin's second season, he had trouble with Achilles issues. He skipped the first seven games of the season but instead spent limited time in Coburg's VFL games. In Richmond's round 8 match against Port Adelaide, he eventually returned to the club's senior side. In the round 18 match against Melbourne, Cotchin's season came to an end. In August, he will have surgery that will prevent him from training and playing until late October. He played in ten games and averaged 17.7 yards and kicked three goals.

For the first time in his career, Cotchin was 100% fit for the season. However, he spent time in the pre-season on a limited schedule, aiming to build the endurance base he lacked in his first two seasons. Cotchin was selected by his peers into the club's leadership group even before his 20th birthday, a mark of approval for his leadership skills well before he reached his 20th birthday. For the first time in three years, Cotchin was a member of Richmond's round 1 team when they met Carlton at the MCG. He continued to play in 15 of the club's first 16 games, totaling more than 20 disposals in seven of those games. Cotchin filled in for the first time in his career as captain Chris Newman missed the club's round 4 match against Melbourne. In round 16, Cotchin was credited with a late bump on North Melbourne's Sam Wright. Wright was injured in the attack, and the AFL's match review committee found the assault to be reckless with high contact and high risk. Cotchin was banned from three games, which he and the club later protested. He was found guilty by the AFL Tribunal and banned him from a four match suspension as a result of the unsuccessful challenge. Richmond's last two games of the season against St Kilda and Port Adelaide, Cotchin returned to football against Richmond. In each of the two matches, he had twenty-two disposals and kicked two goals. His season total of 17 games was his highest to date, with 19.5 tackles and 4.8 clearances per game. In the club's highest and fairest award of the year, Cotchin came in seventh.

Cotchin train with the main group more than ever before, owing to the fitness he displayed in the previous year. He cited a previous tendency to fall out early in games due to a poor fitness base, but said his first complete pre-season would allow him to correct this. It was the case, with Cotchin displaying his good form in the early part of the year. In a round 4 loss to Collingwood at the MCG, Cotchin had his first game with 30 disposals. In round 7, he kicked four goals against Fremantle, his highest tally to date. In round 9, Cotchin was voted the best on ground in the Dreamtime at the 'G' match against Essendon. He had not played less than 20 yards in a game, averaging 24.4 per game. Cotchin took over as captain after Chris Newman was disqualified late in the season, with the team's last five matches of the season. In late-August, Herald Sun columnist Jon Ralph predicted that Cotchin would be named Richmond's next captain, but that it would not be announced until at least the 2012 season. Cotchin completed the season by playing in all 22 games, a career-first. During the season, he led the team in kicks, inside-50s, and clearances. At the end of the year, he received a team-best 15 Brownlow Medal award. The Jack Dyer Medal was his first club best and fairest award for his efforts during the season.

Cotchin was officially named vice captain of the club ahead of the 2012 season. He spent a week of pre-season apart from the main training group after undergoing minor hip surgery at the end of the previous season. In February, he spoke about growing confidence in the club's potential to qualify for finals, quoting the progress of key draftees in the "developing years" before.

In round 12, Cotchin made 25 disposals in a victory over Greater Western Sydney and was given six votes in the AFL Coaches Association's Player of the Year award. On the award's leader-board, his haul landed him in second place. He had averages of 26.4 yards and one goal per game at that time. He also ranked seventh in the league for total disposals and fourth for inside 50s. In a match against Gold Coast in round 16, he had his equal second-career best 38 disposals. In a round 20 victory over the Western Bulldogs, Arguably his best game of the season came. In a best on ground effort, he had 35 disposals, seven marks, and kicked three goals.

Cotchin began to receive a lot of praise from members of the football media by mid-August. Mark Stevens of the Herald Sun named Cotchin Richmond's best player since Kevin Bartlett, while The Age's Jake Niall described his appearances as similar to Chris Judd and Gary Ablett Jr. at the same age.

Chris Newman revealed he would be playing as captain ahead of the season's final match. Fans and media had waited for Cotchin to take over the mantle at the time. In 2012, the Tigers would ultimately miss out on the finals, with six goals down and one draw out, indicating a significant opportunity gone missing.

Cotchin was given a slew of accolades for his work, including his first-year pick to the All-Australian team. In a week-by-week count, Cotchin received the most votes to be named as the AFL Coaches Association's champion player of the year award. In addition,, Cotchin was voted Player of the Year in 2012. He also placed third in the Leigh Matthews Trophy (AFL Players Association Most Valuable Player Award). Cotchin was named as the club's best player of the season and earns his second straight Jack Dyer Medal. He led the club in total disposals (666) and second in contested possessions (273), within 50s (116), and clearances (113). He also scored his highest goal-kicking total number in 22 games.

Cotchin was rated as an equal favorite alongside Gary Ablett on the night of the Brownlow Medal count. Despite starting the count slowly, Cotchin polled 11 out of a possible 12 votes in Richmond's final four matches of the season. He came in second place on the night with a total of 26 votes, finishing equal second with Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell and second behind Essendon's Jobe Watson. Watson was ineligible for the award after his participation in the Essendon supplements saga four years later, but the AFL Commission ruled him ineligible for the award in November 2016. Watson had previously been sentenced to 12 months in prison by the World Anti-Doping Agency, but four days before, he had voluntary forfeited the medal in the hopes of the AFL's forthcoming decision on its future. The medal was presented to Cotchin (along with Mitchell) in a private ceremony in Melbourne on December 13th.

Cotchin's appointment as the club captain for the 2013 season was announced on November 23, 2012. He became Richmond's 40th captain with the VFL/AFL tradition, and at 22, he was the youngest Richmond captain in more than 100 years. Cotchin broke with recent tradition by opting to wear his number nine jumper rather than adopting the club's number seventeen guernsey. Wayne Campbell, Kane Johnson, and Chris Newman had all adopted the number in honor of club legend Jack Dyer's death in 2003. Cotchin said he admired the club's history and Dyer, but he had to keep the number nine because he had worn it during his football career, including junior years.

Cotchin started the season with a sense of awe, picked by the AFL's club captains as the player most likely to win the Brownlow Medal. In his first three appearances, he averaged 33.3 yards and 5.7 clearances per game in the early stages of the season. It was the first time a single match had more than 30 disposals (including the last four matches). In April 2013, Leigh Matthews, a former Brisbane premiership coach and media commentator, lauded Cotchin's leadership. Cotchin would "actually flourish as captain," the VFL/AFL legend predicted. Cotchin suffered with a hyperextension of the knee in round five. He suffered with soreness from the minor injury the week before being ruled out of the club's round 7 match against Port Adelaide. Despite the fact that he would miss just one game as a result, the effects of the injury had lingered and bone bruising as a result. In round 16 of the AFL Cup against Gold Coast at Cairns, Cotchin played his 100th AFL game. In the game, he had nine marks and 29 disposals. On 39 occasions in Cotchin's first 100 games, he had gained 25 or more disposals.

The Cotchin-led Tigers announced a final-series berth for the first time since 2001 with a win in round 19. The team will finish in fifth place, earning the right to host a home final at MCG. The ninth Carlton defender was promoted to Richmond in the first elimination final after the AFL ruled Essendon as disqualified from the finals series due to the continuing supplements story. Richmond's Richmond side was eventually defeated, losing a 26-point lead but ultimately falling by 20 points. In the match, the captain had 26 disposals, five clears, and two goals.

Cotchin was the club's highest and fairest count in the club's best and fairest count last year, and the Kevin Bartlett Medal was given to the club for his efforts. His 19 votes made him the first Richmond player to receive more votes in three consecutive seasons. He came in eighth place in the competition.

Cotchin said in the media that he was focusing on achieving more consistent personal output in 2014 after a self-described "up and down" season. In his first three games, Cotchin got off to a promising start by kicking a goal and averaging 30.3 disposals per game. Despite his best efforts, the club lost just one of these first three games. Rohan Connolly of the Age called Cotchin the Tigers' best player of this season, but critics questioned the captain's on-field support. Brent Macaffer of Collingwood was subjected to a stifling tag in round 4. He was held to only 13 disposals (at 46% efficiencies), his lowest disposal rate in a match since round 16, 2010. "He (he) thought (he) was being detained unlawfully detained at times," Cotchin said on the Seven Network's Game Day show "at times." During the week, Brisbane head of coaching Peter Schwab announced that Cotchin would be included in the Lions' upcoming round 5 match. Despite this disappointment, Cotchin showed a strong return to form in the match against Brisbane, receiving 32 disposals and kicking a goal. Cotchin averaged 25.9 disposals per game after seven rounds.

In Melbourne's round 8 loss, he sustained a minor ankle injury. As a result, Cotchin did not miss a game, however, by passing a fitness test to qualify for the club's round 10 match against Greater Western Sydney. The club had just three victories in 13 games, making it almost impossible to qualify for the finals. Champion Data, the AFL's statistical partner, gave the club just a 0.6% chance of qualifying for the finals.

In round 15, Cotchin scored a career-best five goals and made 31 disposals, defeating St Kilda. In 23 years, he was the first Richmond player to play 30 or more interceptions and five or more goals. For his best afield effort, he was awarded the Ian Stewart Medal. Cotchin played down hopes that Richmond would win consecutively, saying, "talk about fairytales and so forth." We're not really interested in that." Richmond will finally complete the fairy tale by winning nine straight games and ending the season in eighth position.

Richmond would ultimately fail in the first elimination final after losing by 57 points at the Adelaide Oval to Port Adelaide. Cotchin received a lot of flak when he won the pre-game coin toss. Despite Port Adelaide's kick-with-the-wind's seven goals in the first seventeen minutes, Cotchin was defended openly by coach Damien Hardwick.

Cotchin received his third Jack Dyer Medal at the end of the season. He was the youngest Richmond player to win three of the best and fairest awards in AFL history, and the youngest to do so. He received 18 votes in that year's Brownlow Medal race, becoming the first Richmond player to receive four seasons with 15 or more votes.

In December 2014, Cotchin agreed to a five-year deal with Richmond, extending his deal until the 2020 season. He shrugged a seemingly lucrative bid from Hawthorn in doing so.

Cotchin had minor hamstring pains in the 2015 season, which was relieved. With a specific intention of being available for round 1, he was focusing on a marginally reduced training load. As a result, he did not attend the first two of the club's pre-season games.

In Cotchin's round 1 victory over Carlton, the club began the season slowly, with just seventeen tackles and one clearance. Mark Robinson, a Herald Sun writer, chastised him for a "secure" play-style in April. Robinson chastised Cotchin for inability to impact the scoreboard with goals and goal assists, as well as his growing habit of defensive kicks, particularly his average of just five meters gained per kick in round 2. Cotchin responded by promising the media that his team will "make sure we're more consistent" after Coach Hardwick described the team's round 4 loss to Melbourne as "insipid." With the Tigers down again, this time at Geelong's hand, it would be an empty promise. To this point, Cotchin ranked 66th in the league for metres gained and 18th for backward or forward kicks. Peter Ryan of AFL Media said that this was an underachievement for Cotchin, but that he was not strong enough to be deemed "a good player."

In Cotchin's round 7 victory over Collingwood, Coach Hardwick lauded him for a "great captain's game." In the game, Cotchin had thirty-two disposals, six interceptions, and kicked two goals. In round 14, he was praised for his on-field leadership, this time against Greater Western Sydney. Cotchin had "taken his game to a different level, especially in the leadership stakes" in July, according to former Brisbane premiership player and current Fox Footy commentator Jonathan Brown. Cotchin was ruled out of playing in round 22, his only game of the season, due to back pain.

Richmond finished fifth in both home and away seasons, qualifying for a home elimination final. In each of his first three seasons, Cotchin became the first Richmond captain since Royce Hart to lead teams to finals. The club will lose its first final for the third straight season, this time by 17 points at the hands of North Melbourne. Cotchin gathered just nine possessions with only four working disposals, which was held by North Melbourne tagger Ben Jacobs. It was the lowest disposal count in his 153-game career to date.

Mark Robinson of Cotchin's captaincy wrote an article in the Herald Sun titled "three straight finals losses were reason enough to ban him from the job," with forward Jack Riewoldt his preferred replacement. Riewoldt denied the suggestion, describing Richmond's leadership team as "second to none" and defending Cotchin as the best man for the position. Cotchin stayed in the role until the club announced him as skipper for the fourth time in a row in January 2016.

Hardwick stressed early in the season that Cotchin must be relieved of certain aspects of his inside-midfield role. According to Hardwick, the club was asking Cotchin "to play a part for his body mass that he is incapable of doing" and that if Cotchin's career was short lived. In April, Cotchin's captaincy was once more chastised, this time by Fox Footy's David King. In a television show the day after Richmond's round 2-loss to Collingwood, Cotchin's leadership was a detriment to the team and he should be fired at season's end, according to the player.

In the weeks that followed, Cotchin was chastised for the repeated praise and accolade for his leadership from rival players Luke Hodge and Patrick Dangerfield. Hardwick characterized the allegation as "unjust and farcical." Brooke, Cotchin's wife, also defended him for his leadership abilities, took to Instagram to show his love for him. In a Herald Sun interview, she reiterated her support for the public role of footballers' families, sparking a mini-controversy regarding the public role of footballers' spouses.

Meanwhile, Cotchin was off to a promising start to the season, with 30.4 disposals and 6.8 clearances in each of the club's first five games. In round 6, Cotchin suffered from a fractured cheekbone. Despite suffering the injury in the first moments of the match, the player continued to play on until the loss by 35 points. As a result, he missed two games and returned to the team's round 9 team to face Fremantle. In his return, Cotchin had a career-high 39 disposals. He skipped a week of preparations leading up to round 12, and he was pushed into hospital for the first time after contracting a virus. In Richmond's victory over Gold Coast, he did not miss a match, but instead of scoring and 28 disposals (12 in the last quarter). He was averaging career peak in disposals, contested possessions, clearances, and uncontested possessions at this time. Despite his good showings, the team will fail to qualify for the finals for the first time under his captaincy. He played 20 games this season, leading the team in total clearances and second in disposals per game. In the club's best and fairest season, Cotchin came third, behind Dustin Martin and Alex Rance.

Cotchin referred to 2016 as "the worst season of (his) career and the most challenging year of (his) life" on the back of the club's success and the self-imposed pressures of success. He spent the off-season reassessing his leadership style and considering whether or not to continue as Richmond's captain.

Cotchin's service as captain continued into the 2017 pre-season, this time from former Richmond development coach Mark Williams. Despite Williams' praise for Cotchin as a "wonderful king," he insisted that Cotchin would be a better player without the added pressure of captaincy. Despite the outside pressures, he was voted to captain the club again in mid-March when a three-man leadership team was announced in mid-March.

After scoring 26 tackles, seven clears, eight within five feet, two goals, and a game-high seven tackles in the victory over Collingwood, Mike Spence was named best-on-ground by Fox Footy. Richmond remained undefeated in the first round of a season in Cotchin's time as captain and the best at the club since 1995. In Round 6's loss to Adelaide, Cotchin recorded game-highs in tackles (11) and pressure acts (33) as well as team-highs for disposals (26), with contested possessions (16) and meters gained (502). In Round 7, 2017, Cotchin captained Richmond for the 100th time in a match against the Western Bulldogs. After Percy Bentley, Jack Dyer, Des Rowe, and Matthew Knights, he became the fifth player in the club's history to do so. In Round 8 of this year, Cotchin had seven tackles, one behind former teammate Brett Deledio's career record for most career tackles. He was suspended for a jumper-punch on Fremantle midfielder Lachie Neale in the same match. He was cleared of the incident and received a $1,000 fine for his conduct. According to Triple M and Seven Network analyst Wayne Carey, Cotchin was named in the top ten midfielders in the league in June. He was also listed on the interchange bench in AFL Media's mid-season All Australian team. He was the club captain for tackles at round 11, and he was eighth in the league for the season.

In round 13, Cotchin returned from the bye in fine form, with 28 disposals and a goal. He escaped the Match Review Panel with only a fine in round 16, this time for a gut punch to Jack Lonie's stomach. When the All Australian squad was announced in late August, Cotchin was listed as a notable omission by several media companies, including The Advertiser, Fox Sports, and The Age. Cotchin's season, according to coach Hardwick, was "phenomenal."

Cotchin led Richmond to its first top-four finish in 16 years at the end of the home and away season. Faced Geelong in a qualifying final, Cotchin led his team to victory by a "blistering captain's performance." In what was the club's first finals victory under his management, he finished with 20 tackles, seven blocks, a goal, and a game-high nine tackles. Cotchin backed it up last week when his Tigers won a preliminary final and advanced to the Grand Final for the first time in 35 years. However, his route to participate in the match was under cloud, with a bump on Greater Western Sydney's Dylan Shiel coming under scrutiny after the Giant finished the game with concussion. Cotchin will be suspended under the three strike rule if they were fined twice before the season, with a fine of any amount. The Match Review Panel eventually cleared him of all charges, but concluded that his assault occurred in the process of contesting the ball and was not eligible for any fine. At the time, it was a contentious call, with media analysts and a public-at-large split on the decision. Richmond was underdogs in the Grand Finals the following week, face minor premiers Adelaide in Cotchin's Cotchin's Cotchin's. Despite the odds, Cotchin led the team to a landmark 48 point triumph, captaining the team to its first premiership since 1980. He set a new club record for tackles in a season (139), and he came in fourth in the club's best and fairest count.

Cotchin was voted the league's 23rd best player by a Players Association poll, up 25 spots from the previous year. In a victory over Carlton in round one that started the season with 24 disposals before starting the night in a hospital as a result of a severe migraine. Cotchin returned from bed overnight and travelled with the team to face Adelaide in what would be his 200th match of his career. In a victory over Hawthorn last week, the coaches' unanimous best-on-ground win was awarded by the Coaches Association as the coaches' unanimous best-on-ground after 31 disposals and six tackles. In a victory over Collingwood, Cotchin repeated the effort in round 6, receiving 10 votes. He sustained a minor injury in his left knee after an accident with a goal post during that victory, but the club's match against Fremantle was postponed. He had been invited to participate in the game during team announcements but he was forced to withdraw shortly before the game was set to begin. It was his first match since May 2016 due to injury. Cotchin's absence was limited to one game, returning to North Melbourne in round 8 where he was outstanding, winning 22 points to equal the second-most in a match by any Richmond player in club history. He had received the equal-fifth most votes (37) in the AFL Coaches Association's champion player of the year award, advancing to that point. Following a stellar stretch of form from round 6 to date, 3AW analyst Tim Lane rated Cotchin "the best player in the game" against St Kilda in round 10. In AFL Media and Fox Footy's mid-year All Australian squad, while also being named in the Herald Sun's team of 22 players at halftime. In the second half of the season, Cotchin had a significant decline in stats, receiving more than 20 disposals only twice in the last 11 weeks. His defensive efforts were impressive, particularly in round 20 where he made a game-high nine tackles and the highest pressure point total number of any player in the league. Cotchin played significantly reduced minutes in the game and missed the entirety of the club's round 22 victory over Essendon due to a minor hamstring injury in round 21. In a victory over the Western Bulldogs in round 23, he played in the last match of the home and away seasons. He had 17 disposals. At the time, Cotchin was called in the 40-man squad, but the All-Australian team was ultimately disqualified. Following a landslide Players Association election, he was also named as the league's top captain. Cotchin's side won a home qualifying final against Hawthorn, where he led the team to victory, with 26 disposals, seven clearances, and being voted one of Richmond's Best by AFL Media. Despite being named one of Richmond's top players, Cotchin's finals run would last just one more match when Richmond was eliminated with a shocking preliminary final loss to Collingwood. Cotchin's highest Brownlow Medal vote tally in four years (10) and placed seventh in the Richmond club's best and fairest award category after the conclusion of the 2018 finals series.

Due to his relative seniority among Richmond players and his high playing load over the previous two seasons, Cotchin began his 2019 pre-season with a limited training schedule. He was ranked as the 46th best player in the AFL in official statistical player rankings at that time. In round 1's season-opening victory over Carlton, Cotchin captained the club in each of its two pre-season games in February and March until losing 31 points and winning the maximum three Brownlow votes and maximum 10 coaches association award votes. In round 3, Cotchin sustained an apparent minor hamstring strain in the third quarter of a loss to Greater Western Sydney. Initial estimates put his recovery from two to three weeks, but a setback in mid-April pushed his target return date to at least round 8. In May, the date was postponed before he returned from his seven-week absence to North Melbourne in the round 11 defeat to Richmond. In the first half of the match, Cotchin had 15 disposals before finishing with 23 disposals from 72 percent time on ground. Cotchin was forced out after a six-day break and a matchday eve withdrawal with hamstring soreness in round 13. He had 22 disposals the previous week. In round 15's victory over St Kilda, Cotchin returned to football after missing that match and following the club's mid-season bye. The following week, he was exceptional, with 27 tackles and two goals to earn a spot in Richmond's bests, five coaches' vote, and the pick of the week's team. He played his 150th game as Richmond's captain in round 18, becoming the third player in club history to do so. He sustained yet another hamstring injury in the first minutes of his team's round 19 victory over Collingwood one week later. Scans recovered the following day, revealing the injury to be minor, with a time frame of two to three weeks depending on his recovery. In round 23, where Cotchin made a return to matchplay after two weeks of full preparations, where he had 15 disposals in a modest effort. In their 47-point qualifying final victory over the Brisbane Lions, he was named by AFL Media as one of his team's best players in the first round of the finals, contributing 19 disposals and five clearances. Cotchin played "another good show" in the preliminary final, a fortnight later, with 14 tackles, six tackles, and four clearances, according to AFL Media. In the first seconds of the third quarter, Cotchin laid a tackle on the ground, sparking a second-half revival and eventual victory over Geelong after a poor first half in which Richmond trailed. Richmond defeated Greater Western Sydney by 89 points and Cotchin led the team to their second premiership in three years in the grand final. Cotchin's record 15 disposals and kick kicked a final-quarter goal. He tied for one of five players to captain the team to two premierships, for which Herald Sun chief football reporter Mark Robinson said he would "go down as one of the club's greatest leaders and great players" and "arguably the best captain in the AFL." After playing 14 matches in total, Cotchin finished 19th in the club's highest and fairest rankings at the end of the year.

After captaining Victoria to a 46-point victory over the All-Stars, Cotchin played his first match of the year in the AFL's fundraising State of Origin for Bushfire Relief Match in February, being named one of his team's top players by AFL Media. He missed Richmond's first pre-season match against Greater Western Sydney the following week. Richmond defeated Carlton in round one of the coronavirus pandemic in Australia earlier this year, but the league was still under unusual circumstances as a result. The game was scheduled to have large crowds in attendance despite federal health restrictions on large gatherings and quarters cut by one fifth in order to lighten the physical strain on players who were scheduled to play multiple matches with short breaks in the second half of the year. The AFL Commission suspended the season just three days after several states enforced quarantine measures on their borders, effectively ending the possibility of returning to work. After an 11-week absence, Cotchin led Richmond to a round 2 draw with Collingwood in early-June, in which he was one of the best players on the field, with 23 tackles and four Coaches' votes. In round 4, he received another one vote for 23 disposals and six score involvements before suffering a minor hamstring injury in round 5's 5 victory over Melbourne. Cotchin began rehabilitating the injury over the week that followed, during which time he and the club were relocated to the Gold Coast in Melbourne as a result of a virus outbreak. Cotchin was back with 17 tackles and six tackles in a victory over the Western Bulldogs in which he also received three coaches awards as the fourth best player in the game after three matches on the sidelines. Cotchin claimed outright second place on the club's record for games played as captain (161). While Cotchin was postponed for one match in round 11, he returned to a best on ground effort against the Gold Coast, receiving nine coach votes for a game-high nine clearances and a team-high 26 disposals. In a victory over the West Coast two weeks later, he was once more on the ground, winning another nine coaches' vote for another 26 disposal effort. In a qualifying loss to the Brisbane Lions in the first week of the season, Cotchin led his team to his first and only goal of the season. tying Percy Bentley's record for most games as captain in that match was shattered a week later, with a semi-final victory over St Kilda, marking his 169th game in charge. In a six-point victory over Port Adelaide, he reached another milestone in the preliminary final that followed, playing his 250th match and bringing a game-high 13 contested possessions. Cotchin was Richmond's first three-time premiership captain the following week, winning by 19 touchdowns in what AFL Media described as a "typically aggressive" effort, boosting his side to a 31-point Grand Final victory over Geelong. Cotchin claimed tenth place in the club's best and fairest rankings in his second premiership season in which he appeared 17 of a possible 21 games.

Cotchin appeared in Richmond's sole pre-season match before being picked in the club's round 1 squad to play Carlton and then declared out as a late change due to a stomach disease. He recovered fully over the week and was instrumental in round 2's victory over Hawthorn with 27 disposals, seven inside 50s, and a career-high 634 meters gained. Despite the close loss to Port Adelaide, Cotchin suffered some minor hamstring soreness late in round 3's loss to Sydney but was able to play the following week. In round 5 of the Western Bulldogs, he was given two coaches' votes for a 21 disposal and five clear performance against St Kilda before injuring his hamstring in another vote-getting victory. In round 11's match against Adelaide, which was postponed due to a minor COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown in Melbourne, Cotchin would miss three games due to the injury. He appeared in all of the club's games over the next month, including during a three-week period in which they were relocated to Sydney and Perth.

Cotchin resigned as Richmond's captain on September 14, 2021, citing that the time was appropriate to do so.

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