I think the biggest point of conjecture here is what you believe constitutes a 'finals team' to be and what I do. I believe you are a finals team if you have proven it through performance and deed over a season. Excuse if I'm wrong here, but you seem to believe that a 'finals team' is a team who has played finals over many years. I would argue that is a 'Premiership Contender', as it seems you typically need to be consistently in the finals to win a flag. We're not there yet.
I reckon teams that have consistently made finals, stood up in the crunch games consistently over a period of time get excused rightly for the odd poor performance. I am not disputing for one minute that both those teams played badly last week but those sort of performances are the exception rather than the rule
How many "shockers" have they had over the last 5-7 years. When the acid has been really on and they needed to win important big games have they really failed? How many have we had in not the last 5-7 years but just the last 2 and succeeded?
So teams should get bonus point to go to the ladder for previous years successes? What about a ladder over three years instead on one? Every year is different and you get nothing, like North and Adelaide have found out, from previous years successes. If you play finals you have earned it and right at this moment we are as much a finals team based on our 2013 performance as Collingwood or any of the other teams in the 8.
Yes we've been consistent in our wins and our current ladder positions reflects it but we've also been very consistent in our losses and that's my concern. Hence, why I keep banging on about us needing 13 wins. One more heavy loss and our % takes a battering. Biggest concern for me this year with Richmond hasn't been who we have lost to but the margin in the losses. Outside the Freo game, our losses have been heavier this year against teams above us than last year.
Consistent in our losses
We have won 11 games and only lost 5. We have been very inconsistent if you ask me in this manner. The margin of our losses has been larger this year but I believe we have learned from them (ie the North loss set us up for the last two weeks of contested/defensive football). This is something we didn't do last year.
I thought I explained that and I noticed you didn't answer my question about N0rt & Adelaide. One year in the finals and now about to miss, don't think we can refer to them as "finals teams". 
This year they are not a finals team as we stand. They haven't earned it. We are very close to saying we undeniably have. You are judged on the present and the season that is not on the successes of the past. Other than in supporters and the medias mind past wins are just history.
But to answer your question I will see us as a "finals team" we are playing in September year after year. maybe I should have added the word Consistent
Everything we have done since Gale and Hardwick has walked through the door has been consistent. They have administered consistently, they have recruited consistently, they have developed consistently, they have generated revenue consistently, they have sold the message of unity consistently. This rebuild has not taken any short cuts and now we are reaching finals there is no reason why consistent appearances doesn't follow.
We play finals this year it will be fantastic but it would feel hollow if we back it up with missing out in 2014. However, we do it now and then back it up and play finals again 2014 and then yeah we can claim to be a finals team
I would feel the same but see above in terms of my clarification of what I believe is a 'finals team'.
Believe me no one will be celebrating more than me once we are guaranteed finals but until that point I will keep doing what I've been doing all this season and that's go to the games, enjoy watching the team play and see the improvement
We need to get those 2 games 
Great clubs play finals consistently and are Finals teams. That's what I want Richmond to be, it all I've ever wanted for Richmond. Hopefully in a few weeks time we will be on our way
Here we agree WP....but I do think we can make it with 12 wins rather than 13.
Hopefully we get over 13 and we never find out if I was right or wrong.
