Richmond captain Trent Cotchin has set his sights on a huge 2014 season, after what he’s described, personally, as an “up and down” 2013.

The star midfielder, who finished fifth in the Club’s Best and Fairest, following his Jack Dyer Medal triumphs of the two previous years, and polled 19 votes in the Brownlow Medal, is hell-bent on rising to another level next season.

“It (the season) probably wasn’t quite as consistent as last year.  I thought, from a playing role perspective, it improved as the year went on and I felt that I had an impact on the team.  But certainly, individually, I don’t think I was as exciting as last season,” Cotchin said.

“The one positive about that is it’s a burning desire that’s in my guts for this off-season, first and foremost, but then the pre-season.

“I want to have a ripping 2014.”

Cotchin has already spent a bit of time working on the weights in the ME Bank Centre gym, since the Tigers’ season finished, as part of his earnest preparations for next year.

“I don’t want to put too much weight on, more so the power,” he said.

“You look at the likes of the young midfielders coming through – Paddy Dangerfield, Nat Fyfe – they’re all really big-bodied players.  And, even our own Dustin Martin and Brett Deledio.

“So, I’m trying to keep up with them in the gym.  But I’m also working on my aerobic capacity, as well, because it was probably a weakness of mine in the early stages of my career, with not being able to do pre-seasons.

“But, certainly, the last two years of consistent training has been fantastic . . .”