Richmond captain Trent Cotchin is playing too safe, Mark Robinson writes

I hated the way Trent Cotchin played last weekend.

I hated the way Richmond played.

Against a Western Bulldogs team which flooded back and then kept the Tigers in their back half, the Tigers were boring and without dare.

The Bulldogs played complete football: Hard at the contest, numbers at the contest, spread from the contest and they shared the ball. At times it was exhilarating.

Their defence will be tested by better teams than Richmond, namely Hawthorn on Sunday, but right now it is better than a work in progress. They’re a happening football team.

The same can’t be said of the Tigers.

It is a sample size of two — Carlton in Round 1 and the Western Bulldog in Round 2 — so profound statements are not required.

Still, I hated the way Trent Cotchin played against the Western Bulldogs.

In 2012, Cotchin was equal second in the Brownlow Medal with 26 votes. He was 22 years old and had the football world at his feet.

Cotchin has just turned 25. He’s a damn good player, but he’s become a damn good safe player.

In the three years in between Cotchin’s graph has dipped.

Richmond star Trent Cotchin.Source: News Corp Australia

The most damaging midfielders are those who kick goals or have high numbers in score involvements. The numbers hurt him.

In 2012, he averaged 7.7 score involvements, which was ranked No. 2 at the club behind Jack Riewoldt. For midfielders across the competition, he was sixth behind Sam Mitchell, Jobe Watson, Scott Thompson, Dane Swan and Dayne Beams.

In 2014, he averaged 5.2 score involvements, which was equal sixth at the club behind Brett Deledio, Dustin Martin, Riewoldt, Brandon Ellis and Shane Edwards. For midfielders in the competition, he was ranked equal 61st.

This year, he’s averaging 5.5, which has him ranked No. 9 at the club.

Really, Trent Cotchin ranked 61st?

It was frustrating watching the Tigers play against the Dogs, crisscrossing the ball across half-back regularly.

And Cotchin, who had 34 disposals, was central to it.

At one stage in the first quarter, he had three kicks in nine seconds and gained 26m.

Cotchin’s defensive kicking stats against the Bulldogs showed he had 13 kicks at an average of five metres gained.

We grabbed a random game from 2012 — it was Round 22 against Essendon — where Cotchin had 31 disposals.

Against the Bombers, he had eight defensive kicks at an average 32.2m gained.

The point is, Cotchin plays a very different game now compared with 2012.

Trent Cotchin in action during training.Source: News Limited

He plays too safe. He’s less threatening with the ball, less dynamic and dangerous through the midfield/half-forward. Yes, he gets tagged but he’s not Robinson Crusoe.

To be fair, what can’t be assessed by computers is Cotchin’s leadership.

He helped carry the Tigers to nine consecutive wins last year and a position in the finals and that can’t be ignored.

Internally, he is loved for setting standards on and off the field in the Tigers revamp.

But it’s a strange game that he plays.

On one hand you think he’s running defensively and helping his defenders because that’s what leaders do.

On the other, you ask if he’s getting cheap possessions across half-back when he should be more dangerous with the ball.

Coach Damien Hardwick had high hopes when he spoke to colleague Jon Ralph in the pre-season.

“Trent has had his best pre-season from a leadership point of view since 2012 when he finished second in the Brownlow Medal,’’ Hardwick said.

“He has just led from the front, everything he has done he has won, whether it’s handball games or anything, he has dominated and it’s really exciting.’’

That’s what’s needed, less cheap and safe and more excitement and a Cotchin circa 2012.