Home

Richmond captain Trent Cotchin ready to rain on Gary Ablett’s parade in final AFL game

Ed JacksonThe West Australian
VideoAFL: The emotion of Gary Ablett's final game won't cloud the Cats when they face Richmond in the 2020 grand final.

Richmond captain Trent Cotchin’s admiration for retiring AFL superstar Gary Ablett goes a long way.

It doesn’t, however, extend to wishing the Geelong veteran a victorious farewell from the game in today’s grand final against the Tigers.

“I like Gaz, not that much though,” Cotchin said when counterpart Joel Selwood said it would be “lovely” to see his teammate with a winner’s medal around his neck at the Gabba.

Whatever the result from Saturday’s premiership decider, it will mark the end of one of the greatest careers in AFL history.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

Dual Brownlow medallist Ablett has achieved everything there is to in his 356 AFL matches since debuting way back in 2002.

Gary Ablett of the Cats and Trent Cotchin of the Tigers compete for the ball.
Camera IconGary Ablett of the Cats and Trent Cotchin of the Tigers compete for the ball. Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Photos
The Game AFL 2024

As well as his pair of Brownlows, the 36-year-old has picked up two premiership medals, eight All-Australian blazers, six club best and fairest awards and five Leigh Matthews trophies.

He and Selwood are the only Cats players who’ll take to the field on Saturday who were a part of the club’s 2007 grand-final triumph - a victory that ended a 44-year premiership drought.

The Cats’ skipper denied Ablett’s final game was any extra motivation for his team however.

“That’s no disrespect to him but Gaz came out at the start of the year, basically, and allowed everyone, the football world, to know that this is our last one,” he said.

“Hopefully I speak of everyone, but we’ve celebrated him the right way.

“And, yeah, it would be lovely to see him up there, receiving a medal at the end of the day.”

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails