Richmond captain Trent Cotchin and Adelaide star Patrick Dangerfield put on a clinic at the MCG Richmond captain Trent Cotchin in action against Adelaide. THE football world salivated during the week at the prospect of Gazza v Jobe, the battle of the AFL's two premier midfielders at Etihad Stadium on a Saturday night. But the under card at the MCG a few hours earlier was not too shabby either, featuring the two young turks likely to assume the mantle: Richmond's Trent Cotchin and Adelaide's Patrick Dangerfield. The 23-year olds, who were born two days apart in April 1990, loomed as the central players in their respective teams' quest to keep their finals aspirations intact. There is much to admire about both men: they're both hard at it, no-nonsense footballers. They have balance, poise and a penetrating kick, as well as the ability to split a game wide open. Cotchin began in the centre square and had the first impact of the two, kicking the opening goal of the match when he landed a left-foot snap from 25 metres. But it was Dangerfield who was the more influential player in the first half. He set up Adelaide's first goal, going third man up in the ruck to tap the ball to Ian Callinan for a goal. His contested-ball work (18 of 28 disposals) was extraordinary, but he also worked hard to run and create a second link in the possession chain. The trademarks of his desperation were his smothers and spoils.In the slippery conditions it is never more evident which players have clean hands, and both Dangerfield and Cotchin were noticeable for this. The Crows man even twice managed to gather the ball one-handed while dashing at top pace towards goal. Had he managed to convert either there would now be new contenders for goal of the year. Cotchin did not have his finest day, but a testament to his worth is that he still managed to have 22 disposals, 12 of them contested. When Adelaide got to within 24 points at the start of the final term, and a late charge looked feasible, it was Cotchin who twice fed the ball out in heavy traffic at centre bounces to help arrest the Crows' momentum. Both players had a combination of opponents trying to quell their influence, but still managed to shine in the gloom. When they needed to break a tag they pushed deep forward, where they looked equally damaging. In the end Dangerfield's contribution was the more dynamic, pushing for best afield honours in a team that was soundly beaten. He could easily have finished with five goals instead of 2.4. But the most exciting part of watching this pair was knowing that they will be strutting their stuff for another decade.