Richmond grand final hero Jack Riewoldt heard the criticism of his goalless preliminary final outing but never doubted his ability to perform on the big stage.

Tom Lynch swung last week’s game against Geelong with five goals but it was Riewoldt’s turn in Saturday’s grand final and the veteran responded with five goals in a pivotal display.

After a tense first quarter, Riewoldt’s three second-quarter goals set the Tigers on their way to an 89-point drubbing of GWS.

“The media commentary around my game last week was probably over-hyped a little bit, I felt,” Riewoldt said.

“I still played my role.

“Today, I hit the scoreboard, which is obviously part of being a forward, but last week it was different.”

Riewoldt spoke to reporters while clutching the premiership cup amid jubilant scenes in the change rooms at the MCG.

It’s a scenario he couldn’t have conceived after suffering a serious knee injury in round six at the same ground.

“I sat in the medical rooms about 50m away from where I’m standing right now, not knowing whether I was going to come back this year,” he said.

“It’s a credit to the medical team that we’ve got down at the football club.

“It’s been a tumultuous season for us with injuries but we got everyone here at the right time.”

Riewoldt famously took to the stage with post-match entertainers The Killers in the unbridled joy and chaotic scenes that followed the 2017 grand-final win over Adelaide.

The reaction to a second flag in three years was certainly not muted, but Riewoldt said it did feel different.

“Premierships are always enjoyable but I’m really enjoying this one because I’m able to step back a bit more,” he said.

“Last time, it was a bit crazy because it was the first one to break a premiership drought and everything went bonkers.

“… We’re just a bloody good club, with a bloody good culture, some really good leaders and a bloody good bunch of blokes.”