Mal Cochrane
Encyclopedia
Mal Cochrane is an Indigenous Australian former professional rugby league
player for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
. Cochrane primarily played at hooker.
Cochrane captained the Australian Schoolboys
tour of England
and France
in 1979, scoring twelve tries
and seven goals. He was also rated the best forward of the tour after playing at hooker, lock and prop.
and his childhood hero, Bob Fulton
.
Cochrane played in one grand final with Manly, the 1987 Grand Final against Canberra
. Manly won the match 18–8 but after receiving a knee to the head in the first half, Cochrane remembered nothing of the game. Following the grand final victory he travelled with Manly to England for the 1987 World Club Challenge
against their champions, Wigan
.
Injuries in the last years of Cochrane's first-grade career reduced his appearances to only 28 games over the final three seasons. Cochrane retired from first-grade at the end of the 1990 season and spent a year playing for the Young Cherrypickers in the Group 9
competition.
.
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 the National Rugby League
Judiciary.
(awarded from 1968 to 1996), in 1986. Subsequent winners in that position include Danny Buderus and Cameron Smith. He was also awarded the Dally M
Hooker of the Year in 1986–1987.
In August, 2008, Cochrane was named at hooker in the Indigenous Team of the Century.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
New South Wales Rugby League premiership
The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's and later the country's elite rugby league competition...
. Cochrane primarily played at hooker.
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 the Australian Schoolboys
Australian schoolboys
The Australian Schoolboys refer to junior teams that represent Australia in various sports. The name is mainly used in rugby league, rugby union and baseball...
tour of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1979, scoring twelve tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
and seven goals. He was also rated the best forward of the tour after playing at hooker, lock and prop.
Senior career
Although he originally discussed a career with Canterbury-Bankstown following the 1979 tour, he signed with Manly-WarringahManly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
and his childhood hero, Bob Fulton
Bob Fulton
Robert "Bob" Fulton AM is an Australian rugby league football identity. Fulton played, coached, selected for and has commentated on the game with great success at the highest levels and has been named amongst Australia's greatest rugby league players of the 20th century.As a player Fulton won...
.
Cochrane played in one grand final with Manly, the 1987 Grand Final against Canberra
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
. Manly won the match 18–8 but after receiving a knee to the head in the first half, Cochrane remembered nothing of the game. Following the grand final victory he travelled with Manly to England for the 1987 World Club Challenge
1987 World Club Challenge
The 1987 World Club Challenge was only the second game of its kind to be played between Britain's and Australia's respective domestic rugby league champions...
against their champions, Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
.
Injuries in the last years of Cochrane's first-grade career reduced his appearances to only 28 games over the final three seasons. Cochrane retired from first-grade at the end of the 1990 season and spent a year playing for the Young Cherrypickers in the Group 9
Group 9 Rugby League
Group 9 is a rugby league competition based around the surrounding areas of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. The competition is played in five grades, these being the under 16s , the under 18s , women's league-tag, Reserve Grade and the XXXX Gold Group 9 First Grade.-History:Group 9 Rugby League was...
competition.
Post-playing career
In 1996, Cochrane coached the Australian Aboriginal rugby league team on their tour of Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
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 the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
Judiciary.
Accolades
Cochrane was the first hooker to win the Rothmans MedalRothmans Medal
The Rothmans Medal was the premier individual award in both the New South Wales Rugby League and Brisbane Rugby League competitions, and later in the Australian Rugby League, which was given to the player voted by referees as the best and fairest in those competitions for that year.The award was...
(awarded from 1968 to 1996), in 1986. Subsequent winners in that position include Danny Buderus and Cameron Smith. He was also awarded the Dally M
Dally M Awards
The Dally M Awards are the official annual player awards for the National Rugby League competition. The most prestigious of these awards is the Dally M Medal which is only ever awarded to Australian born Players...
Hooker of the Year in 1986–1987.
In August, 2008, Cochrane was named at hooker in the Indigenous Team of the Century.