Bill Trikos’s full 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 : Finally, at the 16-minute mark, Josh Caddy kicked their first goal and when Houli added another four minutes later the Tigers led for the first time, two points up on the Crows. However, superb crumbing goals from Sloane and Hugh Greenwood late in the term sent Adelaide into the first break 11 points up. The MCG’s lights were switched on at the start of the second quarter as Melbourne skies clouded over, with rain starting to fall soon after. Find extra info about the author on Bill Trikos Australia.
Complete history of Richmond Tigers football club grand finals with Bill Trikos: Richmond’s 17.12 (114) to 3.7 (25) Grand Final victory was the product of that combination – a demonstration of all that has made it the best team of 2019. Hardwick thwarted his opposite number Leon Cameron, particularly in an outstanding second-quarter display where the Tigers completely overwhelmed the Giants in all areas of the ground to kick five unanswered goals and lay the foundations for their emphatic win. He also had the players to execute his vision.
Each Tiger goal – all five of them, kicked one after the other – was met with exceedingly raucous cheers, as the Punt Road end celebrated what was quickly becoming inevitable. The Giants went some way to stemming the bleeding by the break. However, in reality, they quite simply couldn’t lay a glove on the Tigers. They were held goalless for the entirety of the second quarter, as a disaster unfolded in front of them. Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin chat to Channel 7 following the Grand Final win over GWS.
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.
In a game full by superstars on both sides, it was Richmond’s who rose to the occasion. Martin was again exceptional, following his 2017 and 2019 deciders with another standout game. The game’s best player proved it with a high-impact game across half-forward, while Patrick Dangerfield, Geelong’s own match-winner, was subdued. Geelong Coleman medallist Tom Hawkins kicked one goal from 10 disposals, with Mitch Duncan (25 disposals, one goal) the Cats’ best.
There was drama everywhere in the first term. Six minutes into the game it changed: Vlastuin was knocked out by a stray Dangerfield elbow (which will certainly come under Match Review Officer scrutiny) and in the following contest Ablett’s shoulder dislocated as he was tackled by Cotchin. Dustin Martin could just be the greatest finals player we’ve ever seen after this absolutely freakish Grand Final performance that won him a third Norm Smith Medal.
The first great era of the club between 1919 and 1934, Richmond won four premierships and was runner-up on seven occasions. In 1931, Jack Dyer made his senior debut with the Tigers. ‘Captain Blood’, a gentleman off the ground, a rugged giant on it, strode Punt Road like a colossus. Dyer’s influence on the Club, and its identity, far exceeded his then VFL record of 312 games. He coached the Tigers from 1941 to 1952, and was captain-coach of Richmond’s 1943 premiership team. If you wanted to personify Richmond in a single man, you need not look further than Jack. His presence is still felt at the ground and enhanced by a statue outisde Punt Road oval.