Richmond will tackle the extra week off with the same simple mantra that helped them consign their AFL finals drought to history – work hard, be happy.
Friday night’s 51-point qualifying final triumph against Geelong leaves the Tigers one win away from their first grand final since 1982 and two wins away from their first premiership in 37 years.
It is their first finals win since four days after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
The long-suffering Tiger army roared its approval at the final siren on Friday night and coach Damien Hardwick wants his team to relish what is happening.
Opponents of the pre-finals bye point to Richmond now playing only one game in three weeks, saying it diminishes the advantage of finishing in the top four.
But Hardwick oozed confidence after Friday night’s win, saying the Tigers will make the most of it.
“As soon as we’re in work, we’re in work mode,” he said.
“Our players have grown in maturity from that and leaders lead from the front.
“We’re really confident we can do both – it’s a good time to be happy.”
Richmond will also prepare for the preliminary final knowing they are playing the sort of football that shines in September.
Geelong drew level in the third term, but the Tigers were rock-solid and eventually killed off the Cats’ challenge.
“The way we play the game, defensively we’re torrid, we’re relentless in nature,” Hardwick said.
“We’re flat-out at the ball carrier and it was on exhibit (against Geelong).”
But Hardwick is surprised at the extent of their turnaround, after missing the finals last season.
“I was confident at the end of last year, knowing that we were bringing in some players, that we would bounce back to finals,” he said.
“Did I think we’d be in a preliminary final? At a guess, probably no.”
Hardwick also is grateful that the Tigers kept the faith in him as coach.
“They could have quite easily tipped me out, but that’s the great thing about our footy club,” he said.
“We believe in our people.
“We still have a little way to go, but we’re excited by what we’ve delivered thus far.”
