Trent Cotchin has become the youngest Richmond captain in more than 100 years...
Cotchin, who was officially appointed to the post late last week, will be 22 years and 355 days old when he leads the Tiger team out for the 2013 opening round clash with Carlton at the MCG.
That also makes him the second youngest skipper in Richmond’s league football history.
Only Billy Schmidt, who captained the Tigers in the 1910 season, was younger than Cotchin, when he led the team out for the first time.
Schmidt was 22 years and 122 days old in his first official match as Richmond’s captain, in Round 1, 1910, against South Melbourne at the Lake Oval.
That was Schmidt’s only season in charge on-field, although he subsequently coached the Tigers for one year - in 1933 - when they finished runners-up to South Melbourne.
In more recent times, Tony Free, who took over the captaincy reins in 1994, had been the Club’s youngest skipper until Cotchin’s appointment. Free was 24 years, 272 days old when he led the team in the opening round of the ’94 season, against Footscray at the Western Oval.
The list of youthful Tiger captains, in their first official match in charge, is:
• Billy Schmidt, Round 1, 1910 - 22 years, 122 days.
• Trent Cotchin, Round 1, 2013 - 22 years, 355 days.
• Hughie James, Round 1, 1913 - 22 years, 357 days.
• Royce Hart, Round 1, 1972 - 24 years, 53 days.
• Allan Geddes, Round 1, 1927 - 23 years, 177 days.
• Bruce Monteath, Round 1, 1980 - 24 years, 191 days.
• Tony Free, Round 1, 1994 - 24 years, 272 days.
