Mal Cochrane facts for kids

Mal Cochrane, born on April 3, 1961, is a former professional rugby league player from Indigenous Australia. He played during the 1980s and 1990s. Mal was a key player for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership. He mostly played as a hooker (hooker).

Mal Cochrane's Rugby League Journey

Early Sporting Days

When Mal Cochrane was at school, he was a talented athlete. He played not only rugby league but also hockey and cricket. He was so good that he represented his state in all three sports at a schoolboy level.

In 1979, Mal was chosen to be the captain of the Australian Schoolboys team. They went on a tour to England and France. During this tour, Mal scored twelve tries and kicked seven goals. He was also considered the best forward on the tour. He played in different positions like hooker, lock (lock), and prop (prop). Mal was also very fast when he was younger, sometimes even playing on the wing.

Starting His Senior Career

After his schoolboy tour in 1979, Mal thought about joining the Bulldogs. However, he decided to sign with the Manly Sea Eagles instead. This was the team of his childhood hero, Bob Fulton. Bob Fulton later became the Sea Eagles coach in 1983.

Mal spent some time playing in the Under 23's and reserve grade teams. He was learning from experienced players like Max Krilich, who was an Australian Test and NSW Origin captain and hooker for Manly. He also learned from international forward Ray Brown.

Coach Bob Fulton gave Mal Cochrane his first chance to play in the top-grade team for Manly. This happened in Round 16 of the 1983 NSWRFL season on June 12, 1983. He came off the bench in a game where the Sea Eagles won 34–6 against the Illawarra Steelers. The game was played at Manly's home ground, Brookvale Oval. In 1983, Mal played 5 first-grade games, all as a replacement from the bench.

Big Wins and Awards

In 1986, Mal Cochrane had a fantastic year. He won the Rothmans Medal, which was a very important award for rugby league players. He also won the Dally M Hooker of the Year award. Many people thought he should have been chosen for the 1986 Kangaroo tour, which was a tour by the Australian national team. That same year, he played his first representative game for City Seconds as a hooker.

Mal played in one Grand Final with Manly. This was the 1987 Grand Final against the Canberra Raiders. It was the last Grand Final ever played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Manly won the game 18–8. However, Mal got an accidental knee to the head in the first half and couldn't remember anything about the game afterward.

After winning the Grand Final, Mal and the Manly team traveled to England. They played in the 1987 World Club Challenge against the English champions, Wigan. Wigan won the game 8–2 in a match where no tries were scored.

In 1987, Mal won the Dally M Hooker of the Year award again. He also played his second and last senior representative game. He was chosen to play for Country Origin. He kicked 3 goals, but Country lost 30–22 to City Origin.

End of His Playing Days

In the last few years of Mal's first-grade career, injuries meant he played fewer games. He only played 28 games over his final three seasons. He retired from first-grade rugby league at the end of the 1990 NSWRL season. His very last first-grade game for Manly was a 29–12 loss to Canberra. This game was played in Perth, Western Australia, on May 18, 1990.

Mal Cochrane played a total of 118 games for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles between 1983 and 1990. During his time with the team, he scored 19 tries and kicked 167 goals. This added up to a total of 410 points.

After retiring from the top level of football, Mal played for one year with the Young Cherrypickers. This team was part of the NSW Group 9 competition.

Life After Playing Rugby

In 1996, Mal Cochrane became a coach for the Australian Aboriginal rugby league team. He coached them during their tour of Great Britain.

Mal also worked as a policeman for ten years. Today, he works for the Public Service Association of New South Wales. In this role, he helps Indigenous Australians in their workplaces. He is also a member of the National Rugby League Judiciary, which helps make decisions about rules and player conduct in the league.

Awards and Recognition

Mal Cochrane made history in 1986 by becoming the first hooker to win the Rothmans Medal. This award was given out from 1968 to 1996. He was also named the Dally M Hooker of the Year in both 1986 and 1987.

In August 2008, Mal Cochrane was honored by being named as the hooker in the Indigenous Team of the Century. This shows how important he was to rugby league, especially for Indigenous players.