Richmond captain Trent Cotchin has committed himself to the AFL club until at least the end of 2015.

The joint runner-up in last year’s Brownlow Medal count, Cotchin’s new deal came on the same day that Essendon’s Brownlow winner Jobe Watson signed a new four-year contract with the Bombers.

Cotchin, 23, forecast a bright future for the Tigers, who haven’t played finals since 2001.

“The club’s going somewhere and I want to be a part of the success that all involved with the Tigers crave,” the skipper said.

“We want to keep this young group together over the next period of our careers.”

Tigers football manager Dan Richardson hoped for a flow-on effect.

“We hope that this leads to a number of our other key players extending their contracts in the coming months,” Richardson said.

Richardson said the 94-gamer, who has won Richmond’s past two best-and-fairest awards, had settled well into the captaincy this year and should only improve in the job.