Trent Cotchin is clearly relishing the added responsibility that comes with taking over the captaincy at Tigerland.

The star midfielder has picked up where he left off last season, which culminated in him earning All-Australian selection, finishing equal runner-up in the Brownlow Medal, taking out the AFL Coaches Association’s Player of the Year award, and winning a second successive Jack Dyer Medal.

After three rounds of season 2013, Cotchin is ranked No. 1 in the competition for total disposals, with 100, at an average of 33.3 per game.

He has racked up 30-plus touches in all three games so far, to go with the four times in-a-row that he achieved this impressive “ball-magnet” feat at the end of the 2012 season.

So, that’s seven consecutive matches where Cotchin has 30 disposals or more, which puts him in the elite company of prolific ball-winners such as Dane Swan, Gary Ablett, Sam Mitchell, Matthew Boyd and Dayne Beams.

Cotchin’s 36-possession performance in last Sunday’s clash with the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium (including four clearances and five inside-50 entries) followed his 35-possession game against the Dogs in Round 20, 2012 at the MCG.

He received six votes in the AFLCA’s Player of the Year award, to move into second place (on 19 votes) behind co-Sydney captain Jarrad McVeigh (20 votes), with new Port Adelaide captain Travis Boak, the Swans’ new co-skipper Kieren Jack and the Power’s key forward Justin Westhoff in equal-third place (18 votes).

Young gun Tiger midfielder Dustin Martin scored a perfect 10 in last Sunday’s match at Etihad Stadium from respective coaches Damien Hardwick and Brendan McCartney, after picking up a career-high 35 touches.

The full votes from the Richmond-Western Bulldogs game were:

10 – D. Martin (Richmond)

8 – B. Deledio (Richmond)

6 – T. Cotchin (Richmond)

2 – S. Grigg (Richmond)

2 – B. Houli (Richmond)

1 – I. Maric (Richmond)

1 – J. Riewoldt (Richmond)