The rise and rise of Coughlan
Samantha Lane
afl.com.au
10:23:08 AM Fri 2 May, 2003
Mark Coughlan’s mates in Perth still can’t believe he’s playing league footy. And never did Coughlan ever imagine it happening.
But after notching sixteen games last year – in his second season - the 21-year-old finished third in the Richmond best-and-fairest award, placing behind Tigers skipper Wayne Campbell, and one of the competition’s superstars Matthew Richardson.
As a smallish kid growing up in WA, Coughlan fancied himself more as a cricketer than a footballer and went down to a try out at a local ground “only because my mate wanted to go down”.
In hindsight, that friend who prompted the then-teenager to get along to the Perth Football Club should be sought out by Richmond supporters and fervently adored.
“I thought I’d go down with him, otherwise I was just going to play footy at Wesley Curtain, which is just an amateur club, and maybe even take the year off footy,” Coughlan told afl.com.au.
“I was always pretty small growing up and although I wasn’t too bad at footy I sort of took cricket a bit more seriously and never even contemplated playing AFL or anything.
“I still go home and guys can’t believe that I’m actually at an AFL club sort of thing.”
Far from coming from a pedigree football background, Coughlan didn’t represent his state at under 16s level. But after playing a few matches for the Colts in Perth, he was soon promoted to league level and eventually drafted by Richmond in 2000.
Last year’s polling in the Tigers’ best-and-fairest demonstrated just how quickly Coughlan managed to assert himself at the top level. In the end, the veteran Campbell finished 39 votes ahead of Coughlan after playing all 22 matches.
“It was all a bit of a surprise. I never really expected it. It’s just the way it turned out,” Coughlan said simply.
“I was pretty rapt. I would have been happy to get a vote half-way through the year.”
But the success did not come without toil. Coughlan had a fair stint in the VFL at the start of last season, and had mustered just three senior matches by round ten.
Coughlan believes his promotion came about more out of the club’s need for a young player, and claims he wasn’t even playing that well in the VFL when Tiger coach Danny Frawley revealed his intentions for him.
“Danny just said – ‘we’re not going to well and we really need a young player to step up, or the young guys to step up and I’m going to give you the opportunity.”
“I think I played that week, and I still didn’t play that well so I wasn’t feeling that great about my footy. But he just brought me into the office again and assured me it was alright and that I’d still get the opportunity to play. I think the next week I didn’t play too badly, and then it all started from there,” Coughlan said.
Indeed it did. Along with exciting forward David Rodan, Coughlan is now one the great hopes of his football club. And Frawley has spoken about the development of Richmond’s young ‘underbelly’ which, he states, is critical to its success.
Coughlan is no doubt across the logic, but says he doesn’t like to contemplate it too much.
“I don’t really feel that pressured to be honest. I think it’s more the senior players that take that sort of load. I just like not being in the spotlight I guess.”
“I sort of hope that lies more with ‘Rodes’ (David Rodan). I don’t really like that attention. I guess we’ve got something going there at the moment.”
He rates himself as a “mid-range player”, despite recent performances which have earned him a mention in Richmond’s best. In the last three weeks, Coughlan has gathered a total of 70 possessions and kicked seven goals.
“I’m my own critic I guess. Even though the last couple of weeks have been okay for me I don’t think that it’s been as good as what people are saying. I know there’s still some improvement there. I’m just trying to be as consistent as I can,” he said.
“I think when you play a few good games, you put more pressure on yourself because you want to get better, and once you set a standard for yourself you don’t want to drop below it. It’s really important. And I still think I’ve been playing okay football but there’s a fair bit of a way to go yet.”
Coughlan mentions the club’s drafting of established midfielders Kane Johnson (Adelaide) and Justin Blumfield (Essendon), and how it has caused him on keep his primary goal simple – to consolidate a spot in his side’s midfield.
“It was a big thing with Kane Johnson and Justin coming particularly. It put more pressure on me. And I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy year for me.”
“Even this year I still don’t feel that 100 per cent confident that I’m going to play every game. I’m starting to become a lot more comfortable obviously, but I think it’s something that if you’re not playing games it’s hard to feel a part of the side,” Coughlan said.
Coughlan turned 21 the day before Richmond notched its third win of the season - against St Kilda in round four. By all accounts he settled his milestone birthday quietly. With his parents still in Perth caring for his siblings, said he wasn’t too fazed by the lack of family in Melbourne. It’s something he’s already dealt with.
“It’s hard in your first year,” he reflected.
“I had an injury (osteitis pubis) and I wasn’t able to play, and I just didn’t feel part of the team really. It wasn’t until I started playing games that I started to enjoy the move and Melbourne in general.
“I almost felt more a part of the VFL side in my first year, than I did the actual Richmond seniors side. I guess it’s like any young player at any club,” he said.
But if things take their natural course for Coughlan, he’ll be an enduring prized commodity at Punt Road, making it difficult to imagine him not feeling at home again.
Samantha Lane
afl.com.au
10:23:08 AM Fri 2 May, 2003
Mark Coughlan’s mates in Perth still can’t believe he’s playing league footy. And never did Coughlan ever imagine it happening.
But after notching sixteen games last year – in his second season - the 21-year-old finished third in the Richmond best-and-fairest award, placing behind Tigers skipper Wayne Campbell, and one of the competition’s superstars Matthew Richardson.
As a smallish kid growing up in WA, Coughlan fancied himself more as a cricketer than a footballer and went down to a try out at a local ground “only because my mate wanted to go down”.
In hindsight, that friend who prompted the then-teenager to get along to the Perth Football Club should be sought out by Richmond supporters and fervently adored.
“I thought I’d go down with him, otherwise I was just going to play footy at Wesley Curtain, which is just an amateur club, and maybe even take the year off footy,” Coughlan told afl.com.au.
“I was always pretty small growing up and although I wasn’t too bad at footy I sort of took cricket a bit more seriously and never even contemplated playing AFL or anything.
“I still go home and guys can’t believe that I’m actually at an AFL club sort of thing.”
Far from coming from a pedigree football background, Coughlan didn’t represent his state at under 16s level. But after playing a few matches for the Colts in Perth, he was soon promoted to league level and eventually drafted by Richmond in 2000.
Last year’s polling in the Tigers’ best-and-fairest demonstrated just how quickly Coughlan managed to assert himself at the top level. In the end, the veteran Campbell finished 39 votes ahead of Coughlan after playing all 22 matches.
“It was all a bit of a surprise. I never really expected it. It’s just the way it turned out,” Coughlan said simply.
“I was pretty rapt. I would have been happy to get a vote half-way through the year.”
But the success did not come without toil. Coughlan had a fair stint in the VFL at the start of last season, and had mustered just three senior matches by round ten.
Coughlan believes his promotion came about more out of the club’s need for a young player, and claims he wasn’t even playing that well in the VFL when Tiger coach Danny Frawley revealed his intentions for him.
“Danny just said – ‘we’re not going to well and we really need a young player to step up, or the young guys to step up and I’m going to give you the opportunity.”
“I think I played that week, and I still didn’t play that well so I wasn’t feeling that great about my footy. But he just brought me into the office again and assured me it was alright and that I’d still get the opportunity to play. I think the next week I didn’t play too badly, and then it all started from there,” Coughlan said.
Indeed it did. Along with exciting forward David Rodan, Coughlan is now one the great hopes of his football club. And Frawley has spoken about the development of Richmond’s young ‘underbelly’ which, he states, is critical to its success.
Coughlan is no doubt across the logic, but says he doesn’t like to contemplate it too much.
“I don’t really feel that pressured to be honest. I think it’s more the senior players that take that sort of load. I just like not being in the spotlight I guess.”
“I sort of hope that lies more with ‘Rodes’ (David Rodan). I don’t really like that attention. I guess we’ve got something going there at the moment.”
He rates himself as a “mid-range player”, despite recent performances which have earned him a mention in Richmond’s best. In the last three weeks, Coughlan has gathered a total of 70 possessions and kicked seven goals.
“I’m my own critic I guess. Even though the last couple of weeks have been okay for me I don’t think that it’s been as good as what people are saying. I know there’s still some improvement there. I’m just trying to be as consistent as I can,” he said.
“I think when you play a few good games, you put more pressure on yourself because you want to get better, and once you set a standard for yourself you don’t want to drop below it. It’s really important. And I still think I’ve been playing okay football but there’s a fair bit of a way to go yet.”
Coughlan mentions the club’s drafting of established midfielders Kane Johnson (Adelaide) and Justin Blumfield (Essendon), and how it has caused him on keep his primary goal simple – to consolidate a spot in his side’s midfield.
“It was a big thing with Kane Johnson and Justin coming particularly. It put more pressure on me. And I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy year for me.”
“Even this year I still don’t feel that 100 per cent confident that I’m going to play every game. I’m starting to become a lot more comfortable obviously, but I think it’s something that if you’re not playing games it’s hard to feel a part of the side,” Coughlan said.
Coughlan turned 21 the day before Richmond notched its third win of the season - against St Kilda in round four. By all accounts he settled his milestone birthday quietly. With his parents still in Perth caring for his siblings, said he wasn’t too fazed by the lack of family in Melbourne. It’s something he’s already dealt with.
“It’s hard in your first year,” he reflected.
“I had an injury (osteitis pubis) and I wasn’t able to play, and I just didn’t feel part of the team really. It wasn’t until I started playing games that I started to enjoy the move and Melbourne in general.
“I almost felt more a part of the VFL side in my first year, than I did the actual Richmond seniors side. I guess it’s like any young player at any club,” he said.
But if things take their natural course for Coughlan, he’ll be an enduring prized commodity at Punt Road, making it difficult to imagine him not feeling at home again.
