Trent Cotchin struck down by injury in dying stages of Richmond's win against Western Bulldogs

Kieran Francis

Trent Cotchin struck down by injury in dying stages of Richmond's win against Western Bulldogs image

Richmond's come-from-behind win over the Western Bulldogs has been soured after news skipper Trent Cotchin will miss games after being forced off the ground late in the match.

Cotchin played a crucial role in the Tigers' 22-point statement victory at the MCG on Friday night, earning seven clearances and 24 touches as his team recovered from a 25-point deficit during the second quarter.

However, the Richmond leader won't be on the park in the coming weeks, after suffering a hamstring injury in the dying stages of the game.

With the victory already wrapped up, Cotchin finished the match on the interchange bench as Patrick Naish came on as the medical substitute.

The Tigers already have a lengthy injury list with the likes of Dustin Martin, Dion Prestia, Nick Vlastuin and Kane Lambert currently in the casualty ward.

Post-match, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick confirmed Cotchin would be sidelined, but said the timeframe would be determined after further examination after praising the captain for his performance.

"I think it's a hamstring, unfortunately," Hardwick said in his press conference.

"He was incredible tonight, I thought he really led from the front and was part of the resurgence. But he'll obviously miss some weeks, we're not too sure how many it will be.

"It's disappointing. It's just sad to see great players not playing. We're going to miss him for a couple of weeks at least."

Cotchin's performance came in the wake of criticism from several pundits, including Kane Cornes, after he only managed to find the ball 12 times in last weekend's defeat to Melbourne.

Without superstar Martin - who was sidelined with concussion - the Tigers looked set to lose their fourth match from the past five as the Bulldogs dominated the early stages of the match.

The Bulldogs led by 19 points at the half-time break, before Richmond sprung to life in the third term, kicking five-goals-to-one in a power display their opposition had no answer for.

"I think every player individually wants to come in and show their wares, but I think collectively as a side we want to show how we can play," Hardwick said.

"We were disappointed in certain facets of our game last week, but we still gave ourselves opportunities to win or get closer than what the scoreboard probably reflected.

"We've been playing some reasonable footy without playing great footy. But what I love from this group is they always respond. We've seen it before and we'll see it again. When they're challenged they'll jump. They enjoy the challenge."

Kieran Francis

Kieran Francis Photo

Kieran Francis is a senior editor at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia. He started at Sportal.com.au before being a part of the transition to Sporting News in 2015. Just prior to the 2018 World Cup, he was appointed chief editor of Goal.com in Australia. He has now returned to The Sporting News where his passions lay in football, AFL, poker and cricket - when he is not on holiday.