GUN RICHMOND midfielder Trent Cotchin has spoken of the deep disappointment that followed the after-the-siren loss to Gold Coast in Cairns last Saturday.

Cotchin could only watch from outside the boundary line as Karmichael Hunt kicked the match-winner, which made Richmond's path to the finals all the more problematic.

"It was almost like a knife through the heart," he said on SEN on Thursday. "It was frustrating and disappointing but we will learn a lot from it."

"To be in a winning position and not to seal it was disappointing for the group," he said, adding that it was better for the Tigers to have learned such a painful lesson now rather than in a final.

Cotchin's absence from the centre square in the moments before the Suns worked the ball to Hunt is considered a key reason why the Tigers let the match slip.

He explained that he had left the ground for a quick spell, but believed there were still "three or four minutes" to go and that there would be time for him to get back on.

"We're encouraged if close to the bench to come off," he said, noting that Shaun Grigg was fresh and ready to come on in his place.

"Unfortunately there wasn't another opportunity to get back on. No matter how loud you scream to get back on, blokes can't hear you."

The Tigers must defeat North Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday and the side will be significantly bolstered by the return of ruckman Ivan Maric from injury and Dustin Martin and Dan Jackson from their various suspensions.

"It will be fantastic to have some players back," he said.

"Not just his (Maric's) ruck work and around the ground contests but also his leadership and how he sets up the midfield and stoppage structures."

Martin was serving the second week of a club-imposed suspension last week and his absence was seen as a contributing factor to the loss to the Suns.

"He was as gutted as most about last week," Cotchin said of his midfield comrade. "But this week I can only see him being upbeat, excited and running on top of the ground."

Cotchin added that while no player likes to miss games, he expected that Martin would have been freshened up perfectly for the remaining weeks of the season.