The wife of Richmond captain Trent Cotchin says she does not want her husband to return to Melbourne from interstate to help care for their ill daughter because she wants to avoid potential online abuse.
Brooke Cotchin posted a photo of their daughter in hospital on Instagram earlier this week, prompting speculation the Tigers skipper may return from the team base in Sydney to be with his family in Melbourne.
Richmond indicated on Thursday Trent Cotchin would fly with the squad to Perth for Saturday's match against Essendon.
Brooke Cotchin took to Instagram to reveal why she and her family supported him remaining with the Tigers squad.
She addressed her Instagram post to "Tony" as a response to a message she received in which she was labelled "high maintenance", and told to "grow up " and "stop being so selfish".
"Trent's ill daughter is probably the only reason he is still there (interstate)," she wrote.
"She is the one telling him that she wants him to play on Saturday night.
"I have begged my husband not to come home, not because I don't need him right now but because I would be scared of the abuse I would have to deal with from people like you, and just like you I want him to do what is best for the Richmond Football Club and his teammates and I know that is not coming home right now."
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said Cotchin would play the Essendon match at this stage, but warned the decision "could change."
"From our point of view as a club, family will always come first, and you know Brooke's adamant that he wants him to stay and Trent will make that decision if the condition changes, but from our point of view he'll be on that plane come tomorrow," he said.
"Knowing Trent as well as I do he'd be hurting inside. There's no doubt no-one likes to have a sick child, especially when you feel so far away from home, but Trent is very, very good at making sure everyone around him is OK."
