Mal Cochrane

Mal Cochrane

Personal information
Full name	Malcolm Edward Cochrane
Born	(1961-04-03)3 April 1961 Taree, New South Wales,Australia
Playing information
Position	Hooker
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1982–90 Manly Sea Eagles 118 19 167 0 410 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1987 Country Origin 1 0 3 0 6
Coaching information
Representative Years Team Gms W D L W% 1996 Australian Aboriginals 0 0 0 0
Source:RLP As of 20 March 2021

Mal Cochrane(born 3 April 1961) is anIndigenous Australianformer professionalrugby leaguefootballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played for theManly-Warringah Sea Eaglesin theNew South Wales Rugby League premiership.Cochrane primarily played athooker.

Playing career

Junior career

Cochrane played hockey and cricket as well as rugby league while at school and represented his state in all three sports at schoolboy level.

Cochrane captained theAustralian Schoolboystour ofEnglandandFrancein 1979, scoring twelvetriesand seven goals. He was also rated the bestforwardof the tour after playing at hooker,lockandprop.Cochrane also had enough speed in his schoolboys days that he occasionally played on thewing.

Senior career

Although he originally discussed a career with theBulldogsfollowing the 1979 tour, he instead signed with theManly Sea Eagles,the club of his childhood heroBob Fultonwho, in 1983 would also become the Sea Eagles coach.

After biding his time in reserve grade behindMax KrilichandRay Brown,Mal Cochrane made his first grade debut for Manly in Round 16 of the1983 NSWRFL seasonon 12 June. He played from the bench in the Sea Eagles 34–6 win over theIllawarra Steelersin front of 8,083 fans at Manly's home groundBrookvale Oval.He would play 5 first grade games (all from the bench) in 1983.

Cochrane played in one grand final with Manly, the1987 Grand Finalagainst theCanberra Raidersin the last Grand Final to be played at theSydney Cricket Ground.In front of 50,201 fans, Manly won the match 18–8, but after receiving an accidental knee to the head in the first half, Cochrane remembered nothing of the game.Following the grand final victory he traveled with Manly to England for the1987 World Club Challengeagainst English champions,Wigan.In a try-less game, the home side shocked theWinfield Cuppremiers 8–2 in front of 36,895 fans atCentral Park.

Injuries in the last years of Cochrane's first-grade career reduced his appearances to only 28 games over the final three seasons before retiring from first-grade at the end of the1990 season.His final first grade game for Manly came in their 29–12 loss to Canberra at theWACA GroundinPerth,Western Australia in Round 9 on 18 May 1990.

Mal Cochrane played 118 games for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles from 1983 to 1990. He scored 19 tries and kicked 167 goals for a total of 410 points.

Following his retirement from top grade football, Cochrane then spent a year playing for theYoungCherrypickers in the NSWGroup 9competition.

Post-playing career

In 1996, Cochrane coached the Australian Aboriginal rugby league team on their tour ofGreat Britain.

A policeman for ten years, Cochrane now works for the Public Service Association of New South Wales, assisting Indigenous Australians in the workplace and is a member of theNational Rugby LeagueJudiciary.

Accolades

Cochrane was the first hooker to win theRothmans Medal(awarded from 1968 to 1996), in 1986, and was considered unlucky to miss a spot on the1986 Kangaroo Tour(Balmain'sBenny Elias,aNSWState of Originhooker in1985,toured as the #2 behindPenrith's incumbent test rakeRoyce Simmons). Subsequent medal winning hookers includeDanny BuderusandCameron Smith.He was also awarded theDally MHooker of the Yearin 1986 and 1987.

In 1987, Cochrane played hooker forCountry Origin,kicking 3 goals in their 30–22 loss toCity Originin the annualCity vs Country Origingame played at theParramatta StadiuminSydney.This would be his only game of senior representative football.

In August, 2008, Cochrane was named at hooker in theIndigenous Team of the Century.

References

• Alan Whiticker; Glen Hudson (2007).The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players.Wetherill Park, New South Wales:Gary Allen. p. 93.ISBN978-1-877082-93-1.

External links

• Mal CochraneatNRL Stats