An AFL dynasty beckons, and Richmond coach Damien Hardwick admits he affords himself “little moments” to ponder the historical impact of winning a third premiership in four seasons.
But the former rugged defender is also acutely aware that thinking about the end goal won’t be enough to deliver another flag to Punt Road.
“We know what will get the outcome and that’s our process, planning and preparation,” Hardwick said ahead of Saturday night’s grand final against Geelong.
“You can sit there and you can dream as much as you like but the fact of the matter is you’ve got to do a hell of a lot of work to get there.
“We’ve given ourselves an opportunity and we’re excited, especially for our fans back in Melbourne and all over Australia, to provide some entertainment come Saturday night.
“Hopefully we can get the result for them.”
Richmond are chasing back-to-back flags for the first time since 1973-74 and have come a long way since the end of 2016, when they missed the finals after three consecutive elimination final defeats and Hardwick was facing calls to be sacked.
A third premiership in the Hardwick era would elevate his team into the echelon of modern greats alongside the Brisbane Lions (2001-2003), Geelong (2007-2011) and Hawthorn (2013-2015).
Chris Scott completed the Cats’ dynasty with a flag in his first year as coach and was a key playing figure in the Lions’ success under Leigh Matthews.
In March, Scott claimed Richmond were not operating on the same level as the Hawks’ triple-premiership side.
But he attempted to clarify on Friday that it was a commentary on the even nature of the competition amid ongoing equalisation measures implemented by the AFL.
“It’s very clear that we’re coming into an era where the gap between the very best team and the worst team is quite small, smaller than it’s ever been,” Scott said.
“The difficulty in creating a dynasty has never been more stark.
“I’ve said over and over again they (Richmond) have been clearly the best team over the last three or four years, there’s no doubting that.”
