Enemy Territory: Tigers' harsh lesson

Richmond young gun Trent Cotchin expects his team will be out to prove a point on Sunday, describing its loss to the Gold Coast as a ‘knife through the heart’.

"It was frustrating and disappointing but we will learn a lot from it,” Cotchin told SEN.

"To be in a winning position and not to seal it was disappointing for the group.”

The Tigers are set to welcome back Ivan Maric, Dustin Martin and Daniel Jackson for Sunday’s must-win clash against North Melbourne, and Cotchin says their presence will make a huge impact.

"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 in particular will be hopeful of a good performance, fresh from two weeks on the sidelines due to a club-imposed sanction.

"He was as gutted as most about last week,” Cotchin added.

"But this week I can only see him being upbeat, excited and running on top of the ground."

Martin had 23 disposals and 2 goals to his name when the teams last met, polling 2 Brownlow votes, and early in 2011 racked up 34 possessions and kicked 4 goals in a match-winning effort.