A decade after Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale was ridiculed for the club’s bold plan to win three premierships by 2020 and boost membership numbers to 75,000, the Tigers are now on the cusp of greatness.
Having already smashed its ambitious membership target by more than 25,000, Richmond enters Saturday night’s historic grand final under lights at the Gabba with the chance to fulfill that once-derided premiership ambition by securing a third flag in the space of four seasons.
To do so would elevate Damien Hardwick’s side into esteemed company.
In this millennium, Brisbane (2001-2003) and Hawthorn (2013-2015) both won three consecutive premierships to earn their place among the AFL’s greatest sides.
Geelong won three flags across a five-year span from 2007 to 2011 to also assert its claims as one of football’s most formidable line-ups; a record Richmond can top with victory over the Cats in this weekend’s showpiece.
Saturday night’s match will be the first time since 1967 that the Tigers and Cats have met in a grand final, and only the third time they have played each other in a season decider.
In 1967, Richmond — coached by the legendary Tom Hafey — won a thrilling clash by nine points in front of 109,000 spectators at the MCG.
The victory gave rise to the club’s last sustained period of success with three more premierships won across the following seven seasons.
Less than a third of that crowd will fill the Gabba on Saturday night but I’m expecting a similarly tight contest and a superb spectacle.
