Kane Cornes remains sceptical about Trent Cotchin’s potential move from the midfield to the forward line in 2023.
Jack Riewoldt revealed earlier to 7 News on Sunday night that ‘Trent Coleman’ would play a new role for the club this season.
This likely comes on the back of the recruitment of GWS star duo Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper. With a fit Dustin Martin returning to the Richmond midfield and forward line, Dion Prestia, Jack Graham and Shai Bolton, it’s likely Cotchin will simply have to spend less time on-ball.
Cornes feels that if the premiership skipper isn’t in the Tigers’ midfield unit, then he probably isn’t in the club’s best 22 anymore either.
“If he’s not in the centre bounce, in the phone box where he does his best work – when he’s diving on boots, when he’s tackling, winning clearance, pushing the ball forward – I don’t think, if he’s not playing that role, he’s in Richmond’s best 22,” Cornes said on SEN’s Sportsday.
“He’s kicked 16 goals in the last five seasons, Trent Cotchin. I give it two weeks. I give the experiment two weeks.
“It’s like Geelong saying last year, ‘oh, we’re going to turn Joel Selwood into a forward’. It just wouldn’t work.
“It’s the toughest position to play, the athleticism required. It’s an unrealistic expectation for a player who’s going to be 33 by Round 1 this year, with the injury issues that he’s had and the speed and dynamic nature of that role.”
AFL great Gerard Healy is slightly more optimistic about the move, saying he sees a world where it works out.
“It’ll be a multifaceted role. It’ll be a pressure role, I reckon,” Healy said.
“I could see him coming out of the goal square as a leading player. He’s been a very talented midfielder and we’ve seen a lot of talented midfielders go forward in the last few years of their career and do very well.”
