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Three-time Richmond premiership captain Trent Cotchin knows the incredible story behind Dustin Martin’s forever-sealed lips may never be shared with the public.
Cochin played 257 of their 306 AFL games alongside Martin in a 14-year stretch in which the Tigers achieved a career-best three times.
WATCH ABOVE: Trent Cotchin pays tribute to great friend Dustin Martin.
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The pair form one of the most formidable midfield duos in recent memory and have been through everything together, even living with each other for a short period of time.
That means Cochin has deep insight into the man whose private life has been largely shielded from the public eye throughout his career in the limelight.
Martin has a notoriously one-sided relationship with the AFL media, which hangs over every rare word he ever says.
Speaking on Channel 7’s Talking Footy on Wednesday night, Cotchin gave an insight into Martin in a touching tribute.
“You know what? He’s one of the most grateful people I know,” Cochin said.
“And he’s had a lot of times in his career where, whether it’s a time of trial or the peaks of the peaks – which, we all know, there’s been a lot for him – gratitude has been something that’s shone through him. He’s just an amazing guy, to be honest.”
But Cochin knows his big mate will never be interested in sharing more of himself, which he laments but will always respect.
“So many people want to hear from him and there’s a lot of reason why I’d love for him to tell more of his story, (but) obviously there’s no reason to put pressure on him to do that,” Cochin said.
“He’s already inspired so many kids today, but more than that, the depth of his story will inspire an even wider demographic of people.”
Martin’s mandatory Brownlow Medal speech in 2017 was one of the few times he opened up to the audience in any form.
Beyond that, he consistently refused media interviews and speaking opportunities.
For this reason, fans of futurists can only guess what Dustin Martin’s persona really is.
But Cotchin knows.
“What do you value more: emotional intelligence or intellectual intelligence?” he said on Talking Footy.
“He’s one of those guys who’s just brilliant at reading — whether it’s in a game script or in a room with a bunch of guys — he just has this way of lighting up a room with a story and getting you hooked and making people feel really welcome.
“The love my family has for his is a credit to the man he is.
“He values loyalty and love. He’s one of those people who, yes, he’s the life of the party, whether it’s in the dressing rooms or when he’s out having a few quiet beers, but he’s just one of those special people who makes you feel better to be around because he brings people together.
The two became particularly close early in their careers when Cotchin’s wife Brooke opened their home to Martin.
“It was probably a point where Brooke, my wife — we weren’t married at the time — she suggested it would be a great idea for Dusty to move in with us when he was going through a bit of a rough patch early on,” Cotchin explained.
“He moved in with us for three or four weeks and that’s probably when I started to understand that you can be so different, but you can learn so much from each other.
“And Dusty taught me more about life than I ever had the opportunity to teach him about life, and I will be forever grateful for those lessons.”
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