Richmond premiership teammates Trent Cotchin and Brandon Ellis return to action in surprise cameo
Cotchin and Ellis will line up for the South West Sydney Blues in their premiers division clash against Pennant Hills at Mike Kenny Oval on Saturday.
Cotchin, who recently turned 35, retired from the AFL at the end of 2023 after a glittering 306-game career, that included three premierships and a Brownlow Medal.
Ellis played alongside Cotchin for eight seasons, including the two premierships in 2017 and 2019 before joining Gold Coast.
He finished his career at the end of last season after amassing 251 games.
The pair join the South West Sydney Blues for a one-off appearance that could have major finals implications.
Currently in sixth place, the Blues could leapfrog Pennant Hills into fifth spot on the ladder at the halfway point of the season.
The top five of the 10-team competition make finals.
The pair will head into the clash in elite shape, having recently completed the Big Five Marathon in South Africa.
Running for Carrie Bickmore's Beanies 4 Brain Cancer, Cotchin and Ellis completed the gruelling run in just over five hours.
Cotchin's wife Brooke ran the half-marathon, clocking an impressive time of 2:26:31.
'This was more than just a marathon, it was an experience, it was about creating memories, it was about leaning into the discomfort, about being part of a team and about raising awareness and funds for critical brain cancer research,' Cotchin wrote on Instagram.
'I learnt so much on this journey and I was again reminded that fulfilment far outweighs achievement and that replacing expectation with appreciation is a powerful tool.
'Finally, I learnt that my wife as amazing as I already knew her, put me on notice for being a far more resilient and talented runner than I.
'Her will and determination, added with her discipline are all examples of how you truly can get the best out of yourself! I was truly so proud of her.
'No words can really describe this experience but it is one I'll be forever grateful for.'
'Mannnn I'm still buzzing from last weekend!!!' Ellis wrote.
'The run itself was so brutal, but I would do it all again to help raise awareness for this vicious disease. Carrie you're doing incredible things, so grateful to do my little part and be on the journey with you.
'I don't think there could've been a more unique crew, but the connection we made over the few days is something I'll cherish forever.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
AFL 2025: Richmond coach Adem Yze on Tom Lynch's suspension, future
Richmond coach Adem Yze told all his players the act of retaliation which earned Tom Lynch a five game was one the club 'can't tolerate'. But he won't temper the premiership forward's 'white line fever' despite Lynch copping the season's longest suspension for his swinging right hand on Adelaide defender Jordon Butts at the weekend and wants the 32-year-old to play on into 2026. Lynch hadn't had a possession against the Crows before his frustrations boiled over late in the first half. Yze took Lynch and his young Tigers teammates through the incident in detail making it clear that acts of retaliation weren't acceptable as the club attempts to handle the loss of the key goalkicker. 'That's what we went through, not only we're going to miss him and it's our youngest line, we need him out there,' he said. 'But we needed to stress to Jonty Faull, Tom Sims and Harry Armstrong that that action we can't tolerate as a club. 'They know that, they know Lynchy didn't mean any harm by it, he just let things spill over. 'We had those discussions in house and he's got to help our players in other ways for five weeks.' Yze said the loss of Lynch was a heavy blow to the Tigers' greenest line with obvious forward replacements thin. But while Richmond is set to put its immediate goalkicking future in the hands of inexperienced forwards, Yze ruled out blanketing Lynch's aggressive nature. 'He's always had white line fever, that's when he plays his best footy and it just tipped over on the weekend,' he said. 'The consequences are going to be really harsh, he's going to sit out for five weeks, we've got a fit player that's sitting out which is disappointing for us as a footy club. 'But we're never going to temper that, obviously the way he's retaliated was wrong and he knows that, but when he plays his best, he plays on edge. 'We'll keep helping him with that.' Lynch, 32, is out of contract at the end of the season. Yze doesn't expect the forward to hang up the boots however, saying list manager Blair Hartley and Lynch were in discussions about extending his career. 'No doubt, Blair is in that having those discussions with him right now,' he said. 'That one incident, the week that he's had, is never going to dent anything that he's done. 'Not only in previous to me being here but even the last few weeks, the guidance he's giving some of our forwards is going to be really important, not only next year but that's years to come. 'Having his magnet available has been critical for us and it's going to be really hurtful now that we don't, we're going to see how much we miss him over the next five weeks. 'No doubt he's going to be an important part of the next few years, for sure.'
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Saints sound the horns for new cult hero
St Kilda legends Trevor Barker and Nick Riewoldt regularly left fans' mouths gaping with their aerial feats. Supporters flocked to Moorabbin and Docklands to watch them play. But the athletic and courageous icons never had crowds donning viking helmets in their honour or blowing vuvuzela horns every time they flew for a grab. That privilege will instead go to the Saints' latest blonde bombshell - Alix Tauru - as his cult status grows. Of Swedish heritage, Tauru has already been dubbed the "Flying Viking" for his aerial presence and matched a St Kilda record with 14 spoils in the defeat to Fremantle last week. The 18-year-old defender has offered Saints supporters a glimmer of hope for a bright future as Ross Lyon's men attempt to breathe life back into their season against Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night. A group of fans plan to sell viking helmets at the game and sound plastic horns in support of their new hero, while major sponsor RSEA Safety will deck out the cheer squad in viking-themed hard hats. "It's a low bar in AFL footy, isn't it? Fourteen spoils? It used to be 14 goals," Lyon quipped when asked about third-gamer Tauru's status as a fan favourite. "We're excited by Alix. The best thing is he's very level, he understands he's only as good as his next moment at training and in games. "At the end of the day, you come up against another fierce and formidable opponent, and he'll know he's alive. "The challenges keep coming, but it is exciting." St Kilda (5-10) have hit the skids after a positive start to the season, with a horror 2-9 record over the last three months ending their finals hopes early. They will start underdogs against Sam Mitchell's Hawthorn (10-5), who are looking to extend a three-match winning streak and continue their push for a top-two spot. "We're a club that needs to get better. We're off the pack, but we're fighting hard," Lyon said. "We've got a strategy over a period of time that we're pursuing, but in the near time we want to win lots of games of AFL footy. "(We played) three quarters against Collingwood, three quarters against Fremantle, albeit spirited and some good signs. "We're looking to chase four quarters down, so that would be the aim this week." Hawthorn have named key pair James Sicily and James Worpel to return from injuries, offsetting the loss of Josh Weddle and Sam Butler. Former Hawks wingman Brad Hill returns for the Saints alongside Angus Hastie, with Jack Carroll and Tobie Travaglia omitted. Ex-Richmond teammates Dan Butler and Mabior Chol will reach significant milestones on opposing sides. St Kilda forward Butler will play his 150th AFL match, while Hawks tall Chol will line up in his 100th, nine years after his debut. St Kilda legends Trevor Barker and Nick Riewoldt regularly left fans' mouths gaping with their aerial feats. Supporters flocked to Moorabbin and Docklands to watch them play. But the athletic and courageous icons never had crowds donning viking helmets in their honour or blowing vuvuzela horns every time they flew for a grab. That privilege will instead go to the Saints' latest blonde bombshell - Alix Tauru - as his cult status grows. Of Swedish heritage, Tauru has already been dubbed the "Flying Viking" for his aerial presence and matched a St Kilda record with 14 spoils in the defeat to Fremantle last week. The 18-year-old defender has offered Saints supporters a glimmer of hope for a bright future as Ross Lyon's men attempt to breathe life back into their season against Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night. A group of fans plan to sell viking helmets at the game and sound plastic horns in support of their new hero, while major sponsor RSEA Safety will deck out the cheer squad in viking-themed hard hats. "It's a low bar in AFL footy, isn't it? Fourteen spoils? It used to be 14 goals," Lyon quipped when asked about third-gamer Tauru's status as a fan favourite. "We're excited by Alix. The best thing is he's very level, he understands he's only as good as his next moment at training and in games. "At the end of the day, you come up against another fierce and formidable opponent, and he'll know he's alive. "The challenges keep coming, but it is exciting." St Kilda (5-10) have hit the skids after a positive start to the season, with a horror 2-9 record over the last three months ending their finals hopes early. They will start underdogs against Sam Mitchell's Hawthorn (10-5), who are looking to extend a three-match winning streak and continue their push for a top-two spot. "We're a club that needs to get better. We're off the pack, but we're fighting hard," Lyon said. "We've got a strategy over a period of time that we're pursuing, but in the near time we want to win lots of games of AFL footy. "(We played) three quarters against Collingwood, three quarters against Fremantle, albeit spirited and some good signs. "We're looking to chase four quarters down, so that would be the aim this week." Hawthorn have named key pair James Sicily and James Worpel to return from injuries, offsetting the loss of Josh Weddle and Sam Butler. Former Hawks wingman Brad Hill returns for the Saints alongside Angus Hastie, with Jack Carroll and Tobie Travaglia omitted. Ex-Richmond teammates Dan Butler and Mabior Chol will reach significant milestones on opposing sides. St Kilda forward Butler will play his 150th AFL match, while Hawks tall Chol will line up in his 100th, nine years after his debut. St Kilda legends Trevor Barker and Nick Riewoldt regularly left fans' mouths gaping with their aerial feats. Supporters flocked to Moorabbin and Docklands to watch them play. But the athletic and courageous icons never had crowds donning viking helmets in their honour or blowing vuvuzela horns every time they flew for a grab. That privilege will instead go to the Saints' latest blonde bombshell - Alix Tauru - as his cult status grows. Of Swedish heritage, Tauru has already been dubbed the "Flying Viking" for his aerial presence and matched a St Kilda record with 14 spoils in the defeat to Fremantle last week. The 18-year-old defender has offered Saints supporters a glimmer of hope for a bright future as Ross Lyon's men attempt to breathe life back into their season against Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night. A group of fans plan to sell viking helmets at the game and sound plastic horns in support of their new hero, while major sponsor RSEA Safety will deck out the cheer squad in viking-themed hard hats. "It's a low bar in AFL footy, isn't it? Fourteen spoils? It used to be 14 goals," Lyon quipped when asked about third-gamer Tauru's status as a fan favourite. "We're excited by Alix. The best thing is he's very level, he understands he's only as good as his next moment at training and in games. "At the end of the day, you come up against another fierce and formidable opponent, and he'll know he's alive. "The challenges keep coming, but it is exciting." St Kilda (5-10) have hit the skids after a positive start to the season, with a horror 2-9 record over the last three months ending their finals hopes early. They will start underdogs against Sam Mitchell's Hawthorn (10-5), who are looking to extend a three-match winning streak and continue their push for a top-two spot. "We're a club that needs to get better. We're off the pack, but we're fighting hard," Lyon said. "We've got a strategy over a period of time that we're pursuing, but in the near time we want to win lots of games of AFL footy. "(We played) three quarters against Collingwood, three quarters against Fremantle, albeit spirited and some good signs. "We're looking to chase four quarters down, so that would be the aim this week." Hawthorn have named key pair James Sicily and James Worpel to return from injuries, offsetting the loss of Josh Weddle and Sam Butler. Former Hawks wingman Brad Hill returns for the Saints alongside Angus Hastie, with Jack Carroll and Tobie Travaglia omitted. Ex-Richmond teammates Dan Butler and Mabior Chol will reach significant milestones on opposing sides. St Kilda forward Butler will play his 150th AFL match, while Hawks tall Chol will line up in his 100th, nine years after his debut.
Perth Now
8 hours ago
- Perth Now
Saints sound the horns for new cult hero
St Kilda legends Trevor Barker and Nick Riewoldt regularly left fans' mouths gaping with their aerial feats. Supporters flocked to Moorabbin and Docklands to watch them play. But the athletic and courageous icons never had crowds donning viking helmets in their honour or blowing vuvuzela horns every time they flew for a grab. That privilege will instead go to the Saints' latest blonde bombshell - Alix Tauru - as his cult status grows. Of Swedish heritage, Tauru has already been dubbed the "Flying Viking" for his aerial presence and matched a St Kilda record with 14 spoils in the defeat to Fremantle last week. The 18-year-old defender has offered Saints supporters a glimmer of hope for a bright future as Ross Lyon's men attempt to breathe life back into their season against Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night. A group of fans plan to sell viking helmets at the game and sound plastic horns in support of their new hero, while major sponsor RSEA Safety will deck out the cheer squad in viking-themed hard hats. "It's a low bar in AFL footy, isn't it? Fourteen spoils? It used to be 14 goals," Lyon quipped when asked about third-gamer Tauru's status as a fan favourite. "We're excited by Alix. The best thing is he's very level, he understands he's only as good as his next moment at training and in games. "At the end of the day, you come up against another fierce and formidable opponent, and he'll know he's alive. "The challenges keep coming, but it is exciting." St Kilda (5-10) have hit the skids after a positive start to the season, with a horror 2-9 record over the last three months ending their finals hopes early. They will start underdogs against Sam Mitchell's Hawthorn (10-5), who are looking to extend a three-match winning streak and continue their push for a top-two spot. "We're a club that needs to get better. We're off the pack, but we're fighting hard," Lyon said. "We've got a strategy over a period of time that we're pursuing, but in the near time we want to win lots of games of AFL footy. "(We played) three quarters against Collingwood, three quarters against Fremantle, albeit spirited and some good signs. "We're looking to chase four quarters down, so that would be the aim this week." Hawthorn have named key pair James Sicily and James Worpel to return from injuries, offsetting the loss of Josh Weddle and Sam Butler. Former Hawks wingman Brad Hill returns for the Saints alongside Angus Hastie, with Jack Carroll and Tobie Travaglia omitted. Ex-Richmond teammates Dan Butler and Mabior Chol will reach significant milestones on opposing sides. St Kilda forward Butler will play his 150th AFL match, while Hawks tall Chol will line up in his 100th, nine years after his debut.
