By LIAM DURKIN
GREAT clubs doing great things.
Moe Racing Club and Morwell Bowling Club were winners at the Community Clubs Victoria awards night.
The gala event, held last Saturday, recognises community clubs who display excellence in a number of fields.
Moe Racing Club won Regional Mental and Social Wellbeing, while Morwell Bowling Club was acknowledged with the Excellence in Innovation Award.
“This award recognises the resilience, creativity and hard work of our board, team, members and volunteers as we continue to grow, adapt and serve our community,” the bowling club said.
“A huge thank you to everyone who has supported Morwell Bowling Club – this achievement belongs to all of us.”
Moe Racing Club’s award recognised its Tools Down, Heads Up initiative.
“We are absolutely ecstatic, to get that award with the program we’ve got running is just sensational,” Moe Racing Club Chairman Mike Vanderfeen said.
The Tools Down, Heads Up program was developed by Moe Racing Club Chief Executive Cass Rendell to support local apprentices.
Tools Down, Heads Up sees the racing club host a free breakfast for young apprentices to network, talk openly and seek support.
The breakfasts feature a range of presentations pertinent to issues facing young people just starting out in the workforce.
So far this year, apprentices have heard from experts in the building, financial, counselling and mental health sectors.
Key concepts are also tackled, such as buying property and meeting tax obligations.
Some great guest speakers have headlined breakfast events, including prominent construction social media identities Bardie Somerville, Leigh Ryan (Tradie Dad) and The Property Tradies (Joel and Brodie).
Local accountants Kate Slater and Dylan Farrugia also gave an informative talk, while Sean Weir from The Shaka Project offered a no-holds-barred account of the mental challenges facing young people.
Apprentice training provider MEGT has also been a key supporter.
Last week’s Tools Down, Heads Up breakfast welcomed a very special guest – none other than three-time Richmond premiership captain Trent Cotchin.
Cotchin spoke about the importance of teamwork, routine and recognising the role each person plays within an organisation.
Much as having a Richmond legend in Moe was a highlight, there may be only one negative – the racing club has now set the bar too high.
They’ll have to get Nick Daicos now.
THE irony was hard to ignore.
Richmond premiership captain Trent Cotchin was in Moe last week.
The three time flag leader and technical Brownlow Medallist spoke to apprentices about high performance and mindset.
As Cotchin explained, he has a checklist of things he does every morning to help set up his day.
Part of it involves walking, journaling, cold therapy and of course, coffee (cue Mr G “coffee, coffee, coffee before we teachy teachy”).
More importantly, he spoke about enjoying the present moment.
“If you’re in your head, you’re dead, if you’re on your feet, you’re sweet,” he told the assembly.
The football world was inside Cotchin and Richmond’s head after the 2015 elimination final loss to North Melbourne (how much has changed, Richmond and North Melbourne playing in a final).
The Tigers had just lost a third successive final, and Cotchin was tagged out of the game by Ben Jacobs.
Richmond supporters who sat through the agony of that elimination final were universal in their view after the game: “Cotchin’s not a captain”.
Those same Richmond supporters held a similarly universal view after the 2017 qualifying final: “you won’t see a better captains goal” (spinning pirouette, thrown onto the left at the city end).
Three weeks later, the Tigers completed the first stage of its transformation from perennial underachievers to a dynasty under coach Damien Hardwick (‘Dima-sty’).
Cotchin said the change came from a concerted effort to look beyond simply the x’s and o’s of a football game.
Jack Riewoldt stopped trying to be the one who kicked all the goals. Cotchin himself stopped obsessing about getting 30 possessions a week.
No longer was it “in his head”. By simply playing the game he was “on his feet”.
“Football is what I do, not who I was,” he said.
“If it is important to you, it’s important to us,” he added of Richmond’s culture
Cotchin on culture
THREE-TIME Richmond premiership captain Trent Cotchin was in Moe last week.
Cotchin was asked about what made Richmond successful by Express reporter Liam Durkin.
LD: Talking about what people can bring to the table. A player like Kamdyn McIntosh didn’t get a lot of possessions, but his role was probably just as important as anyone’s?
TC: I think that’s where system always overrides talent. We just really valued and celebrated those people that did the mundane stuff. He would cover the exits on our offensive plays to make sure that when they (the opposition) did win the ball back, they couldn’t get it out. He would support the defense, he would work hard back. The countless amount of times that he ran up and down 150 metres for no real reward, was on us to reward it during the week, talk about how important it was. Dustin Martin was obviously a sensation, kicked amazing goals, had moments where he literally changed the game, but without having Kane Lambert play the role that he did, I don’t think that Dusty would have been able to go and do it. I don’t think Christian Petracca is anywhere near as gifted as what Dusty is, but I look at their (Gold Coast) team and go ‘I don’t really see the person that’s aiding Christian Petracca to play the role that he’s playing’ and that’s maybe why it’s breaking down.
LD: There was a great moment after the 2019 grand final when the VFL boys ran onto the ground with their jumpers on. Can you touch on the connection the group had at that time?
TC: There was so many guys, and girls, that contributed to our environment that weren’t there playing with their jumper on of a weekend. I just think it’s important to celebrate everyone and their contribution to what makes a team successful.
Footnote: the journalist in me desperately wanted to ask about the 2012 Brownlow Medal. Judging the room however, it was likely any such question would have been quickly shot down. For the record, I (and probably the majority of the football public) still view Jobe Watson as the Brownlow Medallist.
