The 23-year-old said the players had learned valuable lessons from their 62-point loss to North Melbourne last Saturday, adding this week's review had been forensic.
"When you have a disappointing result go your way the week prior, you always want to come out and prove that you're still playing good footy," he said.
"We've let ourselves down the last couple of years (in Cairns), but we're a different team the way we've been playing in the last few weeks. Aside from last week, we've really come a long way.
"The conditions up in Cairns are a little bit different to down in Melbourne and we're prepared for that … we've had two years of it now, we know what to expect."
On his own form, Cotchin said he'd "love to get a lot more of the ball and kick a few more goals", with his output in both areas down on 2012, when he finished equal runner-up in the Brownlow Medal.
The All Australian denied he was carrying a knee injury from earlier in the season, and said he was spending less time forward of centre.
"That (goalkicking) is probably down in comparison to last year and I'm not giving myself as much opportunity," he said.
"I think it's just a matter of some of our younger guys really stepping up to the plate.
"Brandon Ellis, Reece Conca, even (Nick) Vlastuin has come in and played a really pivotal role for our footy club.
"That's what we ask of our younger guys, to start to take up the slack that's been there for the past couple of seasons."
