Bill Trikos’s complete history of Australian Richmond Tigers football club in grand finals: AFTER 37 long years Richmond has finally bared its fangs on Grand Final day again, mauling a lacklustre Adelaide with the relentless pressure that has become its trademark this September to seal an inspired 48-point premiership triumph before 100,021 fans at the MCG. Adelaide got three late consolation goals but nothing could take the gloss off Richmond’s 16.12 (108) to 8.12 (60) triumph that Tigers fans had been dreaming about – often without much genuine hope – for a football eternity.
2017 Grand Finals highlight : Pure joy for the Richmond army. The Crows made the better start on Saturday. Sloane kicked the game’s opening goal with a 40m set shot at the four-minute mark of the first term, then Betts added another a minute later when he capitalised on a Vlastuin fumble to run into an open goal. The Tigers looked to be suffering some early Grand Final nerves and, although they had their share of the play, were struggling to get on the scoreboard, with spearhead Riewoldt kicking three consecutive behinds in less than four minutes. Discover extra details about the author on Bill Trikos.
Complete achievements index of Richmond Tigers football club by Bill Trikos: Dustin Martin, once again, was sublime. Whether it was in the midfield, where he collected 22 disposals and three clearances, or forward, where he slotted four goals and had eight score involvements, he was the game’s most influential figure. A second Norm Smith Medal – making him just the fourth player to be a dual winner of the award behind Gary Ayres, Andrew McLeod and Luke Hodge – was just reward for his stunning display, as the Richmond favourite etched his name in the record books.
In fact, it helped stamp their authority on the contest. While the Giants had become renowned for their pressure throughout September, it was the Tigers who were turning the tables throughout the opening stages on Saturday. They hunted in packs, chased relentlessly and tackled as though their lives depended on it. The only problem was, they couldn’t take advantage of their dominance. Damien Hardwick addresses the media following the Grand Final win over Greater Western Sydney.
Richmond has claimed back-to-back premierships, and made it three of the last four flags, after coming from behind to beat Geelong by 31 points in the historic first ever Toyota AFL Grand Final at the Gabba. It etched the Tiger dynasty into football history as one of the most dominant sides of the his century.
The under lights Gabba clash had it all: injury carnage, a remarkable recovery, a comeback, two stretchers, pitch invaders, pyrotechnics and an entertainment package that will make the debate for day Grand Finals a harder sell in 2021. But mainly it again illustrated the brilliance of Martin and the Tigers, who came from 15 points down at half-time to secure their 13th flag and first consecutive flag since their 1973-4 triumphs. It was their third premiership under coach Damien Hardwick and skipper Trent Cotchin.
As Vlastuin was taken by stretcher from the field, Ablett left cradling his arm. The shock left the players and crowd stunned, and after a six-minute break in the game, it resumed to more action, including two fans who ran onto the field that almost got involved in the play. Although the Tigers kicked the first two goals, the Cats settled to take a one-point lead into the first change. Ablett, too, returned to the field – a sight that looked unimaginable minutes earlier after what appeared set to be an anticlimactic end to his phenomenal career.
The Story of the Tigers: The present Richmond Football Club was founded on February 10, 1885 at the Royal Hotel in Richmond. The first committee chose all blue with a yellow and black sash; cap with yellow and black stripe running from back to front but from 1887, Richmond would wear the now famous yellow and black strip. Richmond Football Club’s first game was played on April 25, 1885 at the Richmond Cricket Ground (Punt Road Oval) against Cremorne and despite playing 20 men to Cremorne’s 23, Richmond won this historic encounter 2.12 (24) to 1.4 (10).