Richmond backman Bachar Houli reckons the club lived by a key motto on the way to a legacy-shaping second AFL premiership in three years.

Remain humble.

And arguably no Tiger has better lived that ethos than Houli, whose reputation as a big-game player continues to grow.

The unassuming veteran was again superb in Saturday’s grand final-thrashing of GWS, gathering 26 disposals off a half-back flank.

In a repeat of the Tigers’ 2017 premiership, Houli finished second in the Norm Smith medal count behind runaway winner Dustin Martin.

Not bad for a player who has been on one-year deals for the last few seasons.

The Tigers’ second flag in three years places them in similar company to the great Hawks side in which Richmond coach Damien Hardwick cut his teeth as an assistant.

“Clubs like Hawthorn experienced that and Dimma was there at the time, so he’s kind of got that feeling there,” Houli told AAP.

“But for us, we’re very humbled by it. Very, very humbled.

“Our motto this year was ‘remain humble’ … even when you’re winning, stay humble, stay grateful.

“But at the same time, we were very, very hungry for success.”

While he is showing no signs of slowing down after 13 seasons, Houli acknowledged the significance of winning another flag in the twilight of his career.

“It’s a special feeling,” he said.

“Any time you win a flag, whether it’s your first season or your last season, it’s always special.

“I’m just enjoying my football. It’s a great football club.

“You come to work and you don’t treat it as work. It’s an extended family.”

Houli echoed many of his teammates when he spoke with awe about Marlion Pickett’s nerveless performance on debut.

“He’s a special man,” Houli said.

“I think he’ll play much better playing senior football. It’s more free-flowing … and on the outside, he can be very, very damaging.

“He’s very, very calm. I ran past him a couple of times to get a nice cheap handball but he was looking further afield.”