Richmond Media: Taj, how are you traveling?
Taj Hotton: I think I have settled in really well. Especially coming back after the break.
I have had a bit of time to get to know everyone and feel comfortable. Yeah, I am loving my time at Richmond and feel like I am surrounded by really good people, with the high-performance staff and coaches.
(They are the right people) to get me back on track, and I think my knee is also starting to sort of click and I'm running and all that now. So hopefully it starts flying from here.
RM: And right now, we in Samoa, what did we get up to this morning?
Yeah, we were up pretty early this morning here at Taumeasina Resort, about 7:30ish. We had some breakfast and headed to one of the schools like 10 minutes down the road.
I think they were year sevens and year sixes. We sort of introduced the game of footy to them, gave them some gear and did some activities with the kids, which were really good.
The kids were really engaged, and they seemed like they had lots of fun.
I met one kid called James who I really liked, he was really energetic and engaged and easy to teach.
RM: Did he have some talent?
He really did. I was actually pretty surprised. Most people when they first pick up a footy are a bit lost, but lots of those kids seemed pretty comfortable with a footy in hand, especially James.
He seemed like if he wants to, he could probably pick up the game pretty easily, so we will see what happens.
We left a footy for him, so we will see if he can play around with that for a little while.
RM: He was hitting you with his kicks quite well, even from a distance, wasn’t he?
Yep, he was, and it was spinning correctly and everything. It was good- a few of them were, and half of them were bigger than me to be honest.
I mean we have all seen Mykelti play, he is a big man, so they (the locals) sort of have got that build to be really good football players.
If we can embed it in their culture and they can start playing, it could be exciting.
RM: When did you first hear about the fact you were coming to Samoa?
I think I found out like 3 weeks ago. I walked into Nicki’s (Head of Communications- Nicki Malady) office because she called for a meeting, so I was a bit confused about what that could be but she told me that we were going to Samoa with ‘Kelts’ (Mykelti Lefau) and I was just in shock, to be honest.
Like I just got to a football club and am really enjoying my time and then on top of that, get to go away to Samoa for five days.
I am really grateful and (especially) because this is my first time going international since I was about 2 years old. So yeah, it is a really good experience and I am very grateful.
RM: How has this trip as well as the pre-season camp to Queensland with the full team, helped your connection with your new teammates as a new player coming in?
I think that Queensland camp was probably pivotal for helping me feel comfortable and getting to know the boys on a deeper level.
Obviously, the boys (that are) here (in Samoa) I have spent quite a bit of time with in rehab. We are sort of taking it step by step together at the Club every day, but getting away is always a different feeling.
You get to know them, and who they are outside of the club and just on a deeper level, so I am already pretty close with most of these boys.
Sharing a room with them and seeing how they go about their day to day lives has been really good and interesting to see.
Has having them at the Club helped your rehab?
Yeah, 100%.
I think if I'd have gone to a Club where I was the only one, I feel like it is easy to get isolated and not really be able to connect with many of the other boys, because you are obviously not on the track.
But having four other guys in the same situation as me has not only helped me fit in and feel comfortable, but it has also brought me confidence for my rehab.
Learning off them and their sort of wisdom. ‘Juddy’ (Judson Clarke) has already had one before, same with “Kelts”, so it is just good to see them and how positive they are and that reflects on me.
RM: What is your mindset with the rehab?
I am sort of taking it step by step. I am not really too fussed about when I get back.
I just want to do it right. So, I will just listen to all the doctors and physios at the Club, because I know I am in really good hands, and it'd be stupid to waste such a good opportunity like this.
So, yeah, I am just listening to the people that tell me what to do and I know I will get there eventually.
RM: Have you had many chats with the coaches about what roles you might be playing this year, or has your focus just been on getting yourself right for now?
I have not had too many chats about what position. But I am training with the forwards at the moment, so listening into all of their meetings.
I think that obviously I will come through the VFL and sort of get to know the game plan a little bit more and get a feel of actually playing footy again, because it has been a little while.
We will just sort of see what happens and maybe I get a run in the midfield a bit later on. But as I said I am not really too focused on that at the moment. I just want to get my body right and get back out there.
RM: For the Richmond fans that might not have seen you play… Is that how you see yourself, as someone who is both a midfielder and a forward?
I think throughout my time playing I have always seen myself as a midfielder. It is only in the last couple of years I have sort of developed my game into a forward as well.
It is good to have multiple strings to my bows and the skills to become a player that can go wherever.
But to be honest, yeah, I see myself long-term as a midfielder, but I am grateful that I learned how to play forward so that I can fill a gap wherever the team needs me.
RM: You seemed to hit the scoreboard a lot when you played forward last year?
Yeah, and I think I can hit the scoreboard from the midfield as well, which is handy to have, but as I said, happy to play wherever the team needs me.
RM: Are you working closely with Chris Newman then?
Yeah, him and Sam Lonergan. As forward coaches they have been unreal. ‘Newy’ is a great bloke himself. He is nice and relaxed and that is sort of the type of coach that I like playing under.
It has been good to learn off him and sort of pick his brain about forward structures and all that. I am really getting my head around it now.
RM: Are there any players that you have leaned on as well in the same sort of way?
Rhyan Mansell and Seth Campbell. The small forwards have sort of taken me under their wing and I feel comfortable to ask them any questions if I don't understand anything. They are always really good at explaining and it has been really welcoming.
Seth had me over for dinner the other night and I met his girlfriend and saw his place. I am really lucky that I have got a good bunch of boys that I can go to work with every day.
RM: What is your next immediate goal after we get back to the Club?
For me it is just ramping up my running. So, at the moment I am sort of doing the same stuff but I think I am responding really well to it.
I am keen to get into some change of direction in my running and to bump up the workload.
But the main goal would probably be to get back in drills. Sort of like what ‘Juddy’ is doing at the moment, where he is in the non-contact stuff. That would probably be the next milestone in my rehab.
Yeah, that would be awesome.