- Trent Cotchin won three titles with Martin
- The great Tiger announced his retirement on August 6
- Great has played his last game with Richmond
Tigers great Trent Cotchin has revealed why he thinks his great friend Dustin Martin will be “completely freaked out” about life after football after the 33-year-old quit the game just over a week ago.
The former Richmond teammates won three championships together, leaving Cotchin, who retired last year, in a unique position to speculate on how Martin will handle life off the field.
“I don’t know what he’ll do,” Cotchin told Channel Seven. Talking about football Wednesday night after being asked how Martin would spend his time.
‘I think having experienced it myself this year, you’re entering a whole new world that you don’t know.
“And for him to be curious about what interests him, to find purpose in a different way of life, I think that’s exciting for him.
“I’m sure there’s an element of him that’s completely freaked out, too.”
Cotchin also joked that Martin would join forces with a famous musician friend of his.
“I’ve heard reports that I might go and do some DJing with Fisher, but I don’t know how true that is,” he said, referring to the high-profile producer Martin partied with after Richmond’s 2020 flag victory.
Trent Cotchin (left) won three flags with Dustin Martin (right) before both retired as one-club men with Richmond.
Cotchin (pictured right, with Martin, after winning the 2020 AFL Grand Final) retired last year, giving him a unique perspective on what “Dusty” will find in life after footy.
Martin’s next moves after ending his 15-year career with the Tigers have been the subject of intense speculation.
There is a school of thought that holds that his retirement announcement is just a smokescreen for a reunion with former coach Damien Hardwick at the Gold Coast Suns.
Carlton great Brendan Fevola predicted that would be the case months ago after Martin’s 300th game.
“My message is that he will retire after playing his 300th game,” she told The Fox radio show Fifi, Fev & Nick in May.
‘Say thank you to Richmond fans after their 300th anniversary. Take a couple of months off. Get fit. Get your head straight.
‘His manager has been looking at properties on the Gold Coast so Dusty can move up and rekindle his friendship with (Richmond Premiership coach) Damien Hardwick, who now coaches the Gold Coast Suns.
Martin (pictured with his mother Kathy before setting off for his 300th AFL game) has been the subject of intense speculation about what he will do when he retires.
“He’ll be paid a lot of money to go to the Gold Coast, play forward and help these youngsters – they’ve never played in finals in their history. So they’ll bring him there and he’ll be the centrepiece of history.” Queensland Football.
Other options Martin could pursue include landing a job as an AFL commentator, with broadcasters sure to pursue him given his status in the game.
He could also take on a coaching role, as an assistant or advisor to someone like Hardwick on the Gold Coast.
But given Martin’s notoriously private nature and dislike of the spotlight, there’s a good chance he’ll ride off into the sunset for good and enjoy life on his own terms.
‘Dusty’ will surely be in trouble for life if he doesn’t want to work again, thanks to his multi-million dollar property portfolio.