Every team sings the club song around the MCG centre square after an AFL premiership – Richmond rolled out a conga line.

With captain Trent Cotchin holding the cup and leading the way, the Tigers danced their way off the MCG.

They do things slightly different at Punt Rd and Saturday’s grand final demolition of GWS showcased how well it all works.

The 89-point thrashing is Richmond’s second premiership in three years, confirming them as the latest AFL dynasty.

Coach Damien Hardwick has spoken repeatedly about the togetherness of their players, about the selfless, team-first culture they have nurtured.

And it was epitomised midway through the third quarter with the defining moment of the grand final.

Dustin Martin, well on the way to winning his second Norm Smith Medal, had marked and was well within range of goal.

Instead, he nodded to debutant Marlion Pickett, who made space to be on the end of a pinpoint pass.

Pickett, the 27-year-old father of four and only the sixth AFL player to make his debut in a grand final, nervelessly kicked the goal.

Tigers players mobbed Pickett, who did jail time as a teenager and only joined them four months ago through the mid-season draft.

“It’s something I will never forget, because I was watching the crowd as well,” Hardwick said.

“It’s one of those moments where you know where you were when that happened.

“I probably thought he might pass it to him when he was a little bit open, because he just loves the kid, but then to see all 21 other players get to him, and the crowd.

“We have a cult hero, haven’t we? He was incredible today.”

It is light years removed from the turmoil of 2016, when Richmond dropped out of the top eight and Hardwick went some way to being sacked.

Instead, he was sent to Harvard for a course and the Tigers also crucially brought in Neil Balme as their football manager.

Together with president Peggy O’Neal and chief executive Brendon Gale, Hardwick and Balme have led Richmond to their new dynasty.

For Hardwick, the key has been creating togetherness.

“Most kids come in really, really talented,” he said.

“The one thing people crave is human connection.

“It’s the one thing in society that’s probably missing – we have a lot of friends on Facebook, but we probably don’t have many friend stock-standard.

“So that’s something our club invests really heavily in. It’s special.”

And together, Richmond will celebrate their 12th premiership long and hard.

After the conga line, Hardwick was very keen to take the team bus down nearby Swan St and celebrate with the Tigers throng.

“We’re definitely doing Swan, aren’t we,” he said.

“I’ve been fortunate to play at some great footy clubs, but these guys (Richmond fans) take the cake, they’re incredible and we owe it to them.

“We will enjoy it.”