Grand Final Reflection: Finally, it’s Tiger time!by Cheryl Critchley
footyalmanac.com.au
October 5, 2017 
Artwork: Zelko Zelac Finally, it’s Tiger Time!
What are Richmond fans going to complain about now?
Every year since 1981, we’ve had to dissect our disappointment and console ourselves with the fact that “there’s always next season”.
We’ve whinged about wooden spoons, poor recruiting, self-interested officials, unfulfilled promise, heartbreaking losses and plain bad luck.
In the mid to late 1980s, Richmond was a shambles on and off the field. Good wins were rare and I was literally happy if we weren’t 10 goals down at half time.
Those were dark days, with stars such as Geoff Raines, David Cloke and Bryan Wood leaving the club. Despite their best efforts, those who remained were unable to drag our club out of the doldrums.
The 1990s weren’t much better, with one finals series for the decade – 1995.
We did see a brilliant come-from-behind semi-Final win against Essendon, which I watched with my cousin Kate, whom I brainwashed with her sister, Bec, to follow Richmond when they were young.
But a week later Geelong thrashed us in the Preliminary Final by 89 points and it was back to the old drawing board.
I met my husband and fellow Tiger, Brian Roy, at the end of that year. For the next 17 seasons Richmond made one finals series in 2001, when our daughters, Jess and Bec, were aged just two and six months. Our son Ben wasn’t even born.
In 2013, when we next made the finals, Jess was 14, Bec 12 and Ben 10. We finished in the top eight for three years running, but each series ended with a heartbreaking elimination final loss.
I never gave up and turned up every week. At times it was hard, with endless Richmond jokes and other Tiger fans refusing to attend games after years of torment. Sometimes I went alone.
When the kids did come, some people half-jokingly accused me of child abuse for dragging them to Richmond games.
After driving Jess and Bec to Adelaide for the 2014 Final against Port, only to see the home team pile on about eight goals in the first 15 minutes, I thought they might be right.
There were memorable wins, like Sam Lloyd’s goal after the siren against Sydney last year, and the club’s administration has been on an upward trajectory since Brendan Gale and Peggy O’Neal took over.
The signs had been promising on and off the field for five years, but when the frustrating losses continued in 2016 we continued to wonder why we put ourselves through it all.
Finally, this year was different.
After winning our first five games, we knew the Tigers had come to play this season. Richmond was a close unit and quickly bounced back after losing a string of matches by less than a goal.
The players clawed their way into the top four and, unlike previous years, won games they should have. Apart from shockers against Adelaide and St Kilda, they played consistently good footy.
Something special then began to build towards the end of the season after we lost to Geelong at Simonds Stadium.
A huge win over Fremantle and a solid victory over St Kilda saw Richmond enter the finals with confidence and self-belief. Luck was also on our side, with few injuries or suspensions.
Strangely, I and other Richmond fans who often attend games thinking the worst, were quietly confident as we took on Geelong, despite not having beaten the Cats since 2006.
Our MCG record was even worse. Last time we’d beaten them at the `G in 1999, Jess was a baby.
After turning things around and smashing Geelong by 51 points, we knew that if we replicated that form the following week we could beat GWS.
When we did, by 36 points, the question became: Can we do the same to Adelaide? After so many years of disappointment, we genuinely dared to dream.
The Crows were rightly favourites, but I knew we could break them if our boys demonstrated the same self-belief they’d shown in the first two finals. I was quietly confident that we’d do it.
After lapping up Grand Final week, which we’d never experienced in the modern era of huge parades and a massive multi-media build-up, it was one for the ages.
Richmond took control in the second quarter after a nervous start and once our noses were in front, there was no looking back.
When the Crows kicked two quick goals in the last quarter, for a few minutes we worried that the old Richmond might emerge. But the doubt was soon laid to rest and victory was ours by 48 points.
We’d done it! Tigers fans were long-suffering no more!!
Being at the MCG with Brian, Jess and Bec to see our team crush the Crows and break that 37-year premiership drought made all that pain worthwhile. Words can’t describe the pure joy we felt.
My team had earned it. The fans had earned it.
Days later it still feels surreal. But I know I’ll float through this summer safe in the knowledge that that Richmond are premiers and deservedly so.
When it counted, we beat the other three top four teams – by six goals or more. It really was one for the true believers.
Our only problem now is finding something to sook about. For almost four decades we’ve been conditioned to talk about what could have or should have been, looking ahead to next season.
How good it is, Richmond fans, being able to sit back and tell ourselves, “We won the Grand Final”?
Go Tigers!
http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/grand-final-reflection-finally-its-tiger-time/#comment-972962
