Have you got the stock in place now,
that'll see you through the really difficult reviewing process?
I'm really, really confident we've got a core group of young guys
that are, you know, talented enough to be part of an eleventh premiership.
I'm really confident in the kids we've brought into the system this year.
And you know, the Dustin Martins, these sorts of guys
I think will be very good players for the club.
An internal document that got out earlier than you would have liked
spoke of a membership target of 75,000
three flags in 2020 over this five-year plan
or ten-year period?
It starts with a vision and... We're not here just to compete.
- No one is. There's no point, - Were you embarrassed?
No, I'm not embarrassed. I'm actually proud of that.
And we've got a vision to compete and to be the best.
If we're not locked into that, we might as well pack up and go home.
So this is where you guys have been hanging out, is it?
It's where you're fishing?
Ah, we pump yabbies here.
But then just around the corner, we go fishing.
Well, for me, well, it's actually the first time I've been out.
Like even the first month.
I had a couple of swims.
But it's very important for these guys. You got a pretty full schedule.
You know, it's a pretty pressurized life, footy, at the best of times.
We've been away from home for a long time, and they've been away from their...
families, and extremely grateful that the season continues and...
Our jobs, and they can support families and livelihoods,
but it's got its unique challenges.
That's a ray, it has to be all ray.
And this has been particularly challenging.
I'm talking, and the fish is biting.
Wait up. Wait up, Rob.
Sorry, mate, uh...
something just drove off.
Understand that the captaincy holds a significant weight,
and so that decision last week was...
one of the hardest decisions for a match committee to make.
But our relationship with Stephen Coniglio is so strong, and, you know,
people can dig all they like, but...
one thing, you know, that I really love about Cogs is that the character of him,
he's front and square in all our meetings,
and, you know, he'll bounce back. and train well today,
and then we'll pick our team we think we can beat the Saints.
If I'm being honest with you boys,
last week, it was, um...
you know, it was of course a tough week for...
you know, for me, I think, um... I guess a little bit of...
You know, I'm just gonna tell you, embarrassment
and I don't know the last time a...
captain would've been dropped from a footy club.
For me, always in a situation like that,
when you face adversity or challenges,
you get two options. You either feel sorry for yourself...
or you get on with it.
We're all facing that same situation at the moment.
It's gonna be hard for us to make finals.
But let's make a conscious effort
to take the path we all want together.
If it is our last week or not,
let's fucking do it with a smile, plenty of energy,
and make sure the skills are on from the start.
Grab seats, boys. Just sit around anywhere.
Cogs, where are you?
Cogsy?
Great you've come back in the team.
- Outstanding.
Love having you back in the team.
Bring your energy. Bring your energy and do what I know you can do.
Okay? Be Stephen Coniglio.
Bold... brave...
selfless.
Big opportunity. Let's go and get the job done. Thanks.
- Cogs? - Yeah.
Just here, lad.
It's gonna be Steele, it's gonna be Ross.
Yeah.
It's fucking... you take them on your toes, on your toes,
- and fucking bang. - Yeah.
- Really looking forward to this, mate. - Yeah, thanks.
- Looking forward to this. Righto? - Thanks.
Good, welcome back. Welcome back.
And St. Kilda, they're back.
The Saints are back in the finals!
I reckon, boys, all footy clubs...
doesn't matter whether you're a hundred years old or you're ten years old,
you go through some really dark patches.
Have no doubts, we've had a dark year.
That's the game. We've lost it.
That's the game.
Where do you go from here?
Run away... and hide and... keel over in the corner and...
or you can do something about it. I think we all need a little bit of space.
And then we'll come back together, eventually.
And we'll start the journey again.
Yeah, we'll catch up.
- All right? - Yeah.
I think it's been a massive turnaround for the Crows
and their ability to head into preseason with a little bit of optimism.
Knowing there's more improvement to come in 2021.
They'll be disappointed not to be into the finals series.
Halfway through the year, it looked like they were gonna be,
and then the back half of the year just hasn't gone the way they wanted it to.
They take tremendous growth into this offseason.
I think the Suns have got a lot of reward for their hard work this year.
Not so much on the ladder, but growth in the way they move the ball and defend.
And for the West Coast Eagles,
they've done what they had to do.
Now the finals await the Eagles.
The Tigers, top four finish.
Richmond will be getting really busy come the pointy end.
We spoke about this, the mountain.
Okay, this is really where we get to test ourselves.
How we go against the very, very best in the competition,
which is real exciting.
What's the great thing about our journey?
We do it together.
Yeah, we do it together.
We're all in the journey together.
Now there's 22 blokes in that photo, but the reality is as a club,
we sit there and we speak about it,
it takes a whole club to get where we need to go.
So understand our strength of our footy club
is we worry about who we are and what we do.
You're a really good side.
The experience you have keeps you in good stead.
But you have to understand the importance of playing your role this week.
Finals have been the same for 150 years.
Hard, tough footy, which suits the people in this room.
But it's also about enjoying the aspect that you're playing fucking finals.
It's exciting.
Ten other sides would give their fucking left nut
to be where you are sitting right now.
So enjoy the experience. Enjoy every moment you have
to gameday tomorrow night, and then enjoy it again.
It's great to be back, isn't it?
The Lions have their chance tonight.
If they take it, they turn this season on its head.
Lions, the first clearance.
Here's Hipwood, dangerous on the left. And he measures it nicely to McCluggage.
- Hold here.
The Lions will get the first look, if he wants to take it.
He's got Rich on his outside.
- Play on! - And he gives it to him.
Big left foot on Rich, it gets done!
What a start that is for the Lions and Rich!
Fuckin' hell.
Bolton, McInerney, again a great tackle.
He's done it a couple of times.
Fifty meters.
Who's he playing 50 against?
Get in here. Let's go!
Jesus.
50 meters. That's a push. 50 meters.
Cameron... within range... gets it!
That's a big goal,
but look at the desperation from the Lions
to lock this ball in their front half.
Throw...
And a throw. And 50.
Oh, 50! Fuckin' hell!
So again, the 50's played against the Tigers,
and the trash continues.
I think we might have a double 50 here.
Thanks, boys. Thanks, boys.
Two 50-meter penalties, so they've given four away.
It's a good kick... jeez!
It's got everything and some!
You just don't see Richmond under this sort of pressure,
sustained pressure very often.
Robinson came forward to defend.
McCluggage... McCluggage kicks 'em into a prelim!
Controversy at the Gabba.
So Richmond have gotta go through Adelaide
if they want to make the grand final.
This is a picture of my family back in my village
in Fiji, Suvavou Village.
There's myself, my twin brother, a host of my family including,
you know, all the nieces and nephews and cousins and aunties and uncles.
They're very important in my life.
My mum's name is Atetha Naitanui...
In 2015, I was playing good footy, we were up towards the top of the ladder,
and then, yeah I got the phone call from some family back home
of what had happened.
And my mom had got sick and just suddenly had passed away.
You know... Friday you're preparing for a game,
and then two days later, I'm in Fiji with my twin brother,
organizing the funeral.
It was the hardest thing ever and...
I sat in the village and cried afterwards.
I didn't want to come home, I didn't want to play football.
But then my uncles were like...
you gotta make something of yourself.
You've got a good opportunity ahead of you and...
why give it up now?
Miss my mom so much every day. Every day.
A big night ahead of us.
No second chances. The losers bow out.
The winners book a date with Geelong.
The West Coast Eagles unbeaten at this stadium in 2020.
They're seven from seven.
36,000 in here making a lot of noise. It's terrific.
- Elimination finals footy...
... and we're set to go.
Surging forward, Pendlebury. Look at this play,
to Taylor Adams, to Mason Cox!
What is going on?
We saw him tear a final apart in 2018.
And he puts it straight through... for the Magpies' first.
Inside 50, go the Maggies again, high ball.
Cox, already a big target and knows it. Good hands!
He can really get the shoulders rolling, what's he got?
Two in a minute!
The big American loves the big stage.
Mason does. He's tearing it apart, mate!
Fuckin' hell!
For three straight goals, Mason Cox delivers!
They were given no chance
coming into this game, the Collingwood footy club.
Okay, listen up.
It's an arm wrestle at the moment.
It's whoever takes the most of their opportunities.
All right, they're doin' a few different things with their rucks,
but I'm gonna fuckin' back you blokes in, all right?
Hard on the fuckin' line, boys, let's go! Come on.
- Here we go!
Oh, it's the Magpies who've set the challenge
down to the West Coast.
That's what West Coast wanted, Josh Kennedy.
That's what they do better than any other team in the competition.
They score more from center bounce than anyone.
And the West Coast hit back with the first goal
of the second term.
This is game on, boys.
Jack Crisp, boy, he took on a lot there.
They got him.
They've dialed the pressure up here, West Coast.
Fuck it, if we're gonna win this, we gotta do it. Let's do it. Yeah.
- Inside to inside-- - I'm sweeping mate.
Some heat coming now from the West Coast mids.
High tackle, Collingwood.
They're feeding off the crowd now.
Get it, get it, get it, get it!
There is Naitanui. Redden. Ryan.
Just reads it so well in the air. Off to Cripps.
West Coast got another one.
Oh, this is some sort of game of footy.
Oh, this is exciting.
Naitanui!
And this final is extraordinary.
Naitanui gets it going forward.
Wobbles one to Liam Ryan.
Set shot for this exciting small forward.
Come on, brother!
Good strike in this final term!
Aw, nice.
Oh, fuck.
And a free kick to Jack Darling.
A minute left.
What a game of football we are watching.
And now the challenge
firmly at the feet of the West Coast Eagles.
Here's Naitanui.
The most important clearance of the year for these two teams.
How bad do you want this? How bad do you want it?
How bad do you want it?
It's a point, the margin.
40 seconds left. Gaff on the 45. That's okay to Kelly.
Gotta get it in.
Cole just couldn't get boot to ball. This might be enough.
Come on!
The unwinnable game...
Collingwood have won it!
Yeah, it's fuckin'...!
The West Coast Eagles, it's season over.
Boys are gonna be hurtin' from that.
Fuck, I hate losin'.
So, we'll hand over to Jon and Stuey.
Guys, what we'd like to run through today is...
is fundamentally, if we go back to the start of the season,
we outlined some KPI's for the year
around what we thought winning looked like, for us in 2020.
Referring back to where we set our sights and...
in particular in relation to last year and where did we think we could get to,
and the main number that we can focus on
is continuing the turnover game, and, although we've made some strides,
we see some significant growth opportunities there,
because we conceded turnovers far too easily, which, again...
puts a bit of a gap on the scoreboard.
I think... as a whole, we took the steps we needed to take
to become consistently competitive.
Having said that,
being competitive in a game isn't enough anymore. We've gotta win.
But, it was a big improvement in a lot of areas.
No, we're all guilty of raising the bar as we went along.
I don't think we should apologize for feeling that way
and feeling that disappointment.
And importantly, once again,
the players have come into their reviews with that same thought that...
it's just a step we must take.
And think that this by and large, is the group that we think is...
is gonna be our group to take us to our first finals series
and challenge for our first premiership.
What we wanted to achieve this year...
we want our players coming to the game believing they can win.
We felt we got the footy club to more a position of what's the reality.
And the reality is... if we bring our best, we can win.
Keep going up. Hold it up, hold it up.
All right, now, anything bothering you?
Um...
No. This... I think I'm just... fuckin' sore, to be honest.
A few days on the piss, old boy.
- And how's the right thumb feel? - Yeah, good.
- No pain? No stiffness? - Oh, a little bit.
- Some stiffness. - A tiny bit, but...
Stiffness in that lower joint. Beautiful.
Just doesn't feel 100 percent still, but... in terms of range and stuff, great.
Push me away.
Probably about the same, isn't it?
- Yeah. - Push me up.
Push me down.
Don't think I was ready for footy to finish.
Just because of the way we...
we're sort of rolling and finishing the season.
Nothing here at all?
Yeah, so I felt like I would've liked another few more games just to...
just to keep building a bit of momentum and just keep playing good footy 'cause...
it really felt like we were starting to...
play the type of footy that we expected to for the whole year.
You made comments in the media, Sloaney.
You made a comment which I fucking loved.
You wrote, "We finished bottom for the first time in the club's history,
and that hurts. It'll sting the playing group,
but I also think it will light a fire that'll make sure it never happens again."
I thought it was the greatest fuckin' two-liner to wrap up our season.
Because I... we finished so well
in comparison to where we'd been, but ultimately we failed.
And I reckon you nailed it, mate.
This hurt can be such a big driver. So that was...
We just never lost the enjoyment of coming in, which is...
a big tick for everyone, as I said, staff, everyone included.
You just... you grew massively.
You're gonna be that much better coming into next year for it.
So, well done.
Ladies and gentlemen, could you please welcome now to the stage,
senior coach, Matthew Nicks.
Ultimately, we all decide for ourselves what constitutes failure.
But in what is a win-loss business,
2020 could not be mistaken for anything other than a fail.
Failure is a fact of life, and it does not need to quell our optimism.
We're all challenged by the footy bubble protocols.
And on behalf of our players and staff,
we give thanks to our partners.
Our partners, our children, our families.
You made a remarkable sacrifice
and been incredible support.
Footy clubs are made up of a lot of people.
Let's be proud of what we do.
And through endurance, we will conquer.
Thank you, have a good night.
It's been...
a disappointing, humbling year.
I don't know, there's a few words you could probably put to it, but...
the way we finished,
there's some genuine excitement around.
As long as...
the hurt from finishing bottom is our burner and driver.
And we take the lessons we've learnt throughout the whole year,
and take them into next year.
Right, boys, let's make a start.
How do we look at losses?
An opportunity to grow.
Opportunity to grow is a gift, okay? So this is really important.
This could be the most important meeting for the remainder of the year
'cause there's gonna be a lot of learnings out of it.
When you think about us as a footy club, what are most opposition clubs
going to try and do to us?
Sorry, Nick, was that you?
Get under our skin.
Yeah, get under our skin. Now once again...
We've all done it, in this room, but the fact of the matter is...
it's realistically the only way opposition sides
I think get an advantage on us.
And we've gotta sit there and accept responsibility
for how we react to that.
There's gonna be times, no doubt, that we'll get frustrated.
And we'll lash out. But the reality is we're doing it too much.
'Cause what was the game decided by on the weekend?
Free kicks and fifties. That's the reality of it, okay?
Free kicks and fifty-meter penalties are incredibly valuable
when the games become tighter.
Okay, so this is a lesson for us going forward.
We can control who we are and what we do.
We've gotta get better at that part of the game.
But this is what the second chance gives us, okay?
Once again, it gives us a different way. It gives us a different opportunity.
Adversity happens throughout the course of your life,
throughout the course of your career.
All these things. But there's another opportunity to win a different way.
Okay? So understand this is our challenge now.
This is the way. So this is the way we move forward.
Sometimes when you go up that mountain, you're gonna have to shift course.
You might have to go backwards till you go forwards.
But it's still the way.
Okay? So understand the challenge of this week.
Understand the opportunity that we have.
Understand you're still in the fuckin' game.
That's the exciting thing. You've earned the right.
So much talked about the lack of discipline last week
- from the Tigers - Yeah. Absolutely.
It's been a terrific comeback by Richmond.
Martin on the left!
Get in, get in, get in, get in. Good boy.
That's probably sealed the game.
- Good job, boys. Well done.
So the Tigers are on their way to Adelaide
and to a fourth consecutive preliminary final.
Good win.
We can build on that.
We speak about this week.
Okay, we've ticked off this part of the equation,
and we got one more to go.
What stands in the way becomes the way.
Port Adelaide...
was in the way, now they are the way.
We played Port Adelaide in... was it round 11?
Round 11. We weren't prepared. We lost.
And we lost to many sides the second time around.
No. There's only one side that will be incredibly nervous.
It'll be them.
This is so exciting because we've got everything to play for here.
No better place to go than a hostile environment and sit 'em on their ass.
The defending champion against the top team of this year.
For one of them, it's the end of the road.
Port Adelaide have been on top of the ladder all year,
so Richmond actually come into this game as the underdog.
Twenty-six and a half thousand
expected in the house tonight. Biggest crowd that we've had for the year.
This game is absolutely ready to explode.
Two of the best teams in the competition.
So the preliminaries are over,
and who will be standing in a couple of hours' time?
Here we go...
99 percent Port Adelaide crowd here at the Adelaide Oval
as you would expect. It is noisy.
Pushing the back, Richmond.
This is Grimes. How far does he set it up?... to about 20 meters.
Lynch, oh! Big fly coming from the back from Riewoldt.
Martin's in a great spot! Does he get enough on it?
He loves it! Of course he does!
It's tight, it's contested hard ball.
And Duursma takes the mark.
Fuckin' hell.
The crowd loving it.
That's magnificent. Has it got the wheels?
I think it has.
Listen to that.
Lynch and Duursma going at it.
The siren sounds.
And a real arm wrestle.
Okay, let's go!
Okay, listen, a couple of things.
Okay, first thing, offensively, we're trying to be a little bit too perfect.
End of the day, if we hit that ball to grass, who's the fastest side in the AFL?
- We are. - Yeah, we are, okay?
Embrace the imperfections of the condition,
embrace the imperfections of the game,
that's what we are, that's who we are, and that's what we do.
- Let's go.
- What a match we've got here.
Doesn't get any tighter than this. Score's level.
Prelim final. Winner's got a huge amount to play for.
Who can go harder for the next 15 minutes?
It's a couple of goals each, there's nothing in it.
It's fierce. You couldn't want any more.
Rockliff kicks the ball back to about 48 meters, and Dixon takes a good mark.
Well, he's got the distance.
Fuckin' hell.
51 meters out. Good, strong, straight kick.
They're in front.
Every little battle matters now.
Grand final hanging on the end of it.
Make sure we're setting the ground up really well.
25 meters out.
Riewoldt, Lynch, coughed it up.
Ladhams, good tackle again, Prestia...
It's deliberate. Free kick.
Hop in!
So can Kane Lambert kick a second last-quarter goal?
We've done it.
They're close. They're close.
34 seconds.
Just bring the forwards all the way up.
Push George back, bring Shai up. Push George back, Shai up.
- Gotta go Port.
Gotta run it from one end to the other. Need a mark, need a handball, need a goal.
Haven't quite got it. Off the ground...
- Yes!
We fuckin' did it!
Richmond have made it to another grand final.
The reigning premiers are still standing.
- How are ya? - So... told you.
Winning, Peggy! Winning!
I know! Oh, I'm so excited. We did so well.
Yeah.
I might be having a drink now.
Well, you... you can have one. You can have 15 minutes of hubris,
- one drink.
You guys get back to work, we've got a big job next week.
- We might have one beer. - Ten!
Oh, one beer? Brendon, I don't believe that.
No, one beer. Grand final. All right. Well done. I'll leave you to it.
- Okay, well done to all of you. - See ya. Bye bye.
Bye.
Well, if I get another contract, I'll be wrapped, I'll be happy and...
I still believe I can play footy, um... at a high level.
And we just gotta hope that the Carlton football club believe
that I can still do something for this team.
Eddie Betts. How are you, son?
I'm good. Actually, I'm a little bit tired this morning...
knowing that the kids gotta get up at 5:30-6.
Okay, so obviously you had a calf strain early on.
Yeah, that just popped. I even forgot what leg it was.
- Left. - Left.
Left.
Tell me, Eddie, how are you compared to 3, 4, 5 years ago, with your knees?
Are they different? Are they the same?
This year, I would say the pain...
Because I reckon I got more knocks on 'em this year
- than I've had. - Yeah.
And so they've been a little bit sorer this year compared to the last two years.
But, beyond that... Okay.
It's partly because you're a footballer and you play a lot of footy.
All that's very manageable. Like, it's very manageable.
But, um... the thing that is different for a player of your age,
is you seem to have lost your confidence
in your hands, in your touch, and you just seem...
you've lost your confidence in your craft,
which has nothing to do with age.
And you're such a public figure,
my feeling is, you've got too sucked into what everyone says
and you can't remove yourself from it.
As harsh as it is, the good players have to deal with that
as they go through their career.
And some of them do it well, and some don't do it well.
The ones that do it well, that genuinely don't give a shit
what people think about 'em,
they add years to their career. They just... they do.
I think your biggest challenge here is not physical,
your biggest challenge is mental.
Since I've turned 30, I've always had those doubts,
like the game's going past you.
Those doubts in your head are always trying to
take it away because I love playing footy.
Uh... that's the hardest part.
- G'day, Eddie. - Looks fresh.
Thanks, mate. I've been up since 5:30.
All right, Eddie, tell us about your season.
- What do you think? - Nah... um...
Yeah, it's been a frustrating season, to be honest.
I want to kick goals and it got worse when I'm trying harder.
Getting myself in position, I want to get there,
and take it and get the goals in there,
and when I don't get those, I'm like,
"Oh fuck, fuckin' hell, what's going on here?"
'Cause, I agree. I think it's your own doubt that's stopping you.
'cause in pre-season, you were dominating.
You were dominating, you were winning training.
- You were like, "Wow this is awesome." - Mm-hmm.
Then you hurt your calf and a bit of doubt crept in around your body.
- True? - Yeah.
And then form started, wasn't dominating, and then doubt came in.
So why is next year gonna be different?
At training, I guess I can do more, but it's more so mentally as well.
I give a lot to a lot of people.
You know, friends, family, community.
But privately, I don't let people in.
Except my wife.
Guess I've gotta... source out the professionals as well,
and find ways to stop those thoughts coming in, stop those doubts.
Now, I reckon it's been a very challenging year.
Like, moving away, being away from your kids for so long.
It's been a very hard year on you, but...
you need to get back to play free.
Yeah, I know that. I've recognized that.
So we gotta solve it, or... we gotta call it.
Yeah.
- Does that make sense? - Yeah.
But the reason...
The reason why you're gonna be here next year is
because we actually think you're better than that.
Something happens when that you're around the ball,
you know, more often than not.
Your pressure, your leadership, just sharing your knowledge.
Educating our footy club. You've done a lot.
- We believe in you... - Yeah.
But I want to see that joy again.
- You bet. - I want to see that joy.
I want to see you free. I want you to get rid of all the doubters,
get rid of it and just play.
We're a way better side when that's happening.
A lot of people criticize you when you're not playing
the footy that you're expected to play.
And so everyone... jumps on your back and all those doubts come into your head.
But I still believe I've got a lot to offer.
I just want to get mentally stronger so I don't have those thoughts
come into my head again so I can just go out and play freely.
You know, I want to be a strong advocate
to stand up against racism in Australia, in society.
I'd like to be remembered as a leader, as a role model,
for the indigenous community.
We want aboriginal kids to come and enjoy footy
and play freely without being racially abused.
I hope next year's gonna be a lot more positive.
I just want to play footy and just play free.
Dad...
I needed some air today. It's hot.
Yeah, I only figured out how to do my tie last year.
Not like the Gaff here, I didn't go to private school, so...
I get the lady at the shop to tie to it for me, and I keep it tied the whole time.
- Yeah. - All year,
- and then I just have to tighten it up. - Yeah.
You go around, I think that's what YouTube said. Put your finger there.
Go around. This is the double Windsor, but you know what? It'll do.
There's nothing quite like watching this year's club champion
in full flight. He is without question, one of the game's
most dynamic athletes.
And now he's claimed West Coast's highest individual honor
for the first time.
Please put your hands together for our 2020 John Worsfold medalist,
Nic Naitanui.
Let's raise our glasses and salute Nic Naitanui.
Unfulfilling, for the first word, like.
Every year, every team wants to come in and win the big thing, so...
when you don't do it, you pretty much finish last, so...
So yeah, disappointing.
Shoes. I am one of the unfortunate ones who gotta clean my locker out.
And then fill it back up, you know, when preseason starts next year.
There'll be boys coming in doing the exact same thing as me this week
and not returning, so it's pretty sad. Sad times.
Guys getting told they're getting cut, or they're getting let go, or traded.
Let me see what we got.
I've got a lot of shoes.
We all want to win a flag.
Every year you don't win one is every year you're closer to retiring so...
I think the pursuit of trying to win one
is what drives you and what makes you
keep rocking up to train in the summer. Do all the hard stuff.
So... in a way it's a good thing we don't win it
'cause you come back hungrier every year, so...
I'll get there. I'll get there.
It's been a tough year,
coming from, you know, being in the grand final last year
to not making finals.
I'd say, not a pass mark.
It's the first time in my career or life where...
those things that you already do that have helped you
so long don't come through.
My mentality, with everything, but footy in particular, is...
it's not a win or a loss, it's either a win or a learn.
There's some, you know, there are some learnings that I'm gonna,
that I'm gonna have for a long time.
For me, it's time to get to work.
This is, I think, my second year at university at Virginia Tech
in Blacksburg, Virginia.
And that was in the library. I had a job in a library.
A great reader, and this is a little collage about things about my father,
and he was still alive when I became president of Richmond,
and he proudly wore the yellow and black stuff to the local diners,
and of course, in Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, is the capital city,
and they'd say, "I didn't know Richmond had a team."
So he proudly would tell them all about the Tigers.
Oh, so he really took to it because it was something that I did.
This was taken when we won the 2017 Grand Final.
I didn't realize that it had been taken
until I got this...
book and there it is.
And I was laughing to Brendon and I said,
it looks like you're going, "Now we've won a Grand Final,
and somebody will be here to get you soon."
But it's... really... I think shows a bit of
close working relationship and happiness.
Yeah, 2017, I think all you had to do is go...
Ta-da!
And whether... Can I say that we knew that was going to happen?
No, but it was...
it was a wonderful end to what had been a really tough time.
The club was still finding its feet,
and it started to come together in the most wonderful sort of way.
The coach and the captain sort of reassessed
how they were going to lead.
And right away from preseason, I started hearing,
"Things feel different. We're having fun. We're enjoying being here."
And there's just a different mindset.
And so that I think was the start of what we see even through today
about enjoying work,
and all of us do better when we enjoy where we work.
I've really missed being at the club this year.
We've been so separated and isolated.
And moving the game up to Queensland has meant many, including me,
couldn't join because of work or family.
So I hope that after all the sacrifices,
this weekend we have something to celebrate.
Hey, boys. Hey, Chris, how are you, mate? How are you going?
- Good. - Are we allowed...
... to shake hands or not? I'm not too sure.
- Hey, how are you? - You doing good?
Yeah, doing well.
You know, I think it's gonna be a great game of footy.
You know, they've been a yardstick, along with our football club,
for you know, a number of years.
And I think it's about time we played off in a grand final,
so I'm looking forward to it.
- Smile! - I'm always smiling.
- Oh, ho, ho. - Aw, no.
- All right, all right.
Aw, yeah. That's a good carry-on.
Yeah, play it up. I love it. I love it. Ah ha ha!
Here we go.
Bye, everyone!
See ya, guys. See ya, kids. See yous.
Thanks, mate.
See this is good to have a run around.
- Feels a bit more real now. - Yeah, it's good.
- Yeah. Needed it, I reckon. - Yeah. Huh?
Well, as sick as-- Oh, jeez!
Fuckin' hell!
- Imagine that KO'ed... - Knocked out.
- Go out and go... - "Fuck!"
It's just good to feel, be on the ground.
Steppin' over the puck, boys. Enjoy the build up. Enjoy the build up.
Yeah, smile, Nick! Come on, Nick! Jesus!
Yeah, that's good.
Here we go, here we go. Yeah, good, yeah Jack, Jack, Jack. Whoo!
We got last ball, then we got goals up this end.
Just remind yourself, your energy is like a barometer for us,
I reckon, the way you go at these big games,
you're a big-game player I reckon, so...
Be very confident in the way you've performed in the past
and what you're gonna bring tomorrow night.
Just believe in yourself. We believe in you. I sort of think,
we love the chaos you bring, and all that sort of stuff.
- And we give you a hard time and stuff... - Yeah.
... but you're a wonderful player, so just believe in yourself.
Cheers.
This is amazing, Nick, this ground.
Let's speak about what we are, what we know.
Geelong want a high-stoppage game? Why do they want a high-stoppage game?
What sort of bodies are they?
- Bigger. - They're bigger bodies.
The strength of them is through their ability
to use the ball, time, and possession.
They want to control it. They don't want it to make an athletics carnival.
But this is where we can really exploit them. The little things.
Whether it's just getting that guy to kick over a fingertip by one inch.
Okay, whether it's just getting a fingertip on that spoil
to get that ball out of bounds.
Without everyone playing
to the small things of the game, we don't win.
These sort of games, I reckon, you get caught up in...
in everything's that's around it. You know, the outcome,
the trophy at the end, and all that sort of stuff.
But the reality is, it's the journey that makes it so important.
You know, I can't believe how close we've become--
even closer we've become as a group.
So we should be enormously proud of what we've achieved thus far.
Come win, lose, draw, whatever, it doesn't matter,
what you guys have achieved this year is simply remarkable.
Don't wish the day away, enjoy it for all it is because the reality is
they're very hard to get here.
No umbrellas, Tim.
No.
Hey, guys.
Kinda tired.
- Okay, here we go. - Righto.
Yes, we won.
Good on ya, Hodgie. What a season we've had.
One like no other, and we finish in a place
that we've never had the Grand Final before.
One of the better comments I heard
as we were walking in the room, "Broady, it's getting dark outside."
- It is a fuckin' night game.
You do realize that at some stage, the lights will come on?
The one thing I will say, and you guys are aware of the journey,
the journey along the way's been the most funnest of fun, I reckon,
some of the things we've done, but I reckon there comes a time
where you have do have to draw the line.
People have written us off throughout the year...
whether it was through our injury list, our indiscretions off-field.
But what you guys do is you know who you are,
and you know what you do.
But we've just got that one little bit to go.
It's at the Gabba.
Richmond.
Geelong.
There is no doubt Geelong are
one of the strongest clubs of the modern era.
The team is filled with absolute superstars.
Feels pretty cool, doesn't it?
It feels pretty cool to be back sort of thing, doesn't it?
Let's go! Have a good time, my brothers! Good job.
Good boys. Well done. Good luck, good luck, good luck.
Good luck, good luck, good luck!
Scotty!
Good luck, mate. Great to have you, brother.
The 2020 Toyota AFL Grand Final
at the Gabba is finally underway.
Selwood with the clearing kick here.
Hustle.
A little handball wide, hoping for the safety about...
Guthrie there under real pressure.
This is what they do, the Tigers.
Pressure's coming though boys. This is good.
Vlastuin's at the back. Dangerfield belted forward.
A real master. First touch.
Get in. Get in.
Handball, okay.
Blicavs, besieged.
Who's that down?
Vlastuin. I reckon he's knocked out. He got an elbow.
Oh, no.
- Uh-oh. - Oh, Nick!
Oh!
He's in all sorts of strife, that's a shock.
Ablett's in trouble, too, by the way, guys.
So, this is not good for Ablett, he's leaving the ground immediately.
What's happened with Ablett?
Oh, don't know. He's going downstairs, I reckon.
Oh, no!
He's still out.
It looked awful.
He's really hurt.
Vlastuin, who never misses basically--
he's played every game but one, but rarely misses, he's so integral.
Fuckin' hell, I thought we'd be on the first fuckin' what?
Six minutes of fuckin' game.
- Are you there? - Yeah.
Okay, so it's a stupid question,
but he's gone, obviously, right? Knocked out, done?
- Yeah, yep, yep. - Okay.
Yeah, he's-he's determined unconscious. He's not allowed to be sent out again.
So what's that mean?
But let's just stick with Astbury playing as the second ruck.
Use the forward as the wing.
And then, so who's the back rotation?
Well, it's still Dave. You're just gonna have to pinch it, yeah.
So, your backs aren't going to get a rest when Astbury's in as a ruck.
It should hopefully be a relatively slow game.
Yeah, just gotta remind our players, listen, okay, once again,
we've experienced this sort of stuff before, and we've always come
into our sisu, stoic determination. We've spoken about it a lot.
What stands in the way becomes the way.
Exactly right.
So off we go again.
This next minute or two.
Just which team might get an edge or settle.
Slightly quicker. We had had an arm wrestle up until now.
Graham out the back door. Bit of space here for Prestia.
Little right-foot kick around the goal!
First goal of the Grand Final goes to the Tigers!
First goal to Dion.
Stirring return from Ablett, about to come on the ground.
And yet another injury. Broad.
Broady might be injured.
Who?
- Broady. - Where's Broady? Where is he?
Coming off in the middle.
For fuck's sake.
Injuries galore here at the moment.
They're taping Bachar's ankle or calf.
Can we get Nank off?
The problem is Bachar's...
Fucked as well.
Yeah.
What does a sore calf mean, mate?
- I don't know. - Well, at the fuckin' end of the day,
it's a Grand Final. Get it fucking taped and get him goin'. Fuckin' hell.
Yeah, he's done. Come on, Bach.
- Okay. Put Bach on the phone away please. - Bach!
Bachar! Grab that phone, mate.
Yeah, mate.
- Hi, it's Dimma, How you goin'? - Hey, Dim.
Good, mate. I'm just gonna need you to tough it out.
Yeah, 100 percent, I'll do it.
Beautiful. Ha ha. Good luck.
Cotchin was a little worried about the height
that Dangerfield had on him and held.
Dangerfield gets a big one, and the Cats go seven points up.
Tuohy now to Dangerfield again. Got a point in the danger zone.
Touch ball, play on. Nankervis to be caught at the moment.
Our backs just look completely overwhelmed here.
Geelong have now risen to that real
Richmond level, I reckon here.
Jeez, we've been as weak as piss, haven't we?
Haven't called Houli's name all that often.
Balta arches the back. Goes straight to the Geelong captain.
Fucking hell! Fuck!
They are everywhere at the moment, the Cats.
The Cats have kicked the last four goals of the game.
They're just using the ball way better than us.
And the Cats are up by 16.
What about the flick-on? Selwood to Hawkins!
Good kick. Good kick holding the line. They're gonna be hard to catch.
Getting so much pressure on the ball carrier,
and Richmond just can't get it their own way.
Jesus Christ.
Couldn't play any worse than this, mate.
We're gonna make it hard.
Quite remarkable.
Richmond kicked the opening couple of goals of the game.
And since then, Geelong have been able to wear them down and get themselves
into a powerful position before halftime.
Baker sends it long and deep. Look at them gang up on Lynch there.
If there weren't four, left Martin,
around the body, high ball, he's got it! Gee--
What a mark. Timing perfect.
Still in it.
And Geelong keep that 15-point margin.
Certainly asking a serious question
are the Tigers right now.
They're not playing, they're fuckin' useless.
Okay, let's make a start.
We're in a street fight, there's no doubt about that, yeah?
That's the reality of an AFL Grand Final.
- We've been in this situation before. - Yeah.
Fuckin'-A, we know exactly what it's like.
We think about that highlight I showed at the pre-game.
Very first center bounce, what did we see?
Step in. It is all about believing in our process.
Okay? The reality is our process has kept us in good shape
throughout this course of the game,
throughout the course of the year thus far.
We just gotta continue to believe in it. Okay?
Defensively, our setup behind our attack,
our pressure's been very good at 2.13 and leaked in around the contest.
Our system, though, has been average,
but in reality, it's related to our offense.
There's two things that it's related to.
First of all, our ability to set the ground up,
our forwards, we're too far away. Okay, so we gonna get up the ground.
Make sure we get that, the keys towards that contest.
But we've also got to realize our mids and backs,
what's the strength to our mids and backs?
Run and carry, work, great. Okay? We have to support the attack.
So we've got all the answers.
Are we asking you to do something we haven't done
for the vast majority of the year?
No, we haven't. All we've got to do is reset and believe what it looks like
and understand what it feels like moving forward.
Understand the more we can get the ball to space, the more it favors us.
Let's go, grab a jumper.
- Come on!
Hey!
We've been through a hell of a journey.
Okay? However we decide what our story wants to be,
is on the Richmond Football Club.
It's on every single individual in this little huddle now.
Have we played the very best we have? No, fuck, we've got a long way to improve.
There's no doubt about that.
But the reality is, it is our story to write.
What story you want it to be
is determined by the man in that fuckin' jumper,
and the man in that jumper beside you. It all comes down to us.
We are playing a good side, there is no doubt about that,
but you're a fucking great side.
So you get to dictate what this story looks like this second half.
We understand who we are, but more importantly,
we understand what we fucking do.
Hard, tough, Richmond-style footy. You leave nothing in the tank,
you're playing one of the biggest games of the year
- Let's go!
We're ready to go. Cats by 15.
Be strong. Be strong.
Gee, that was really well created there
by Trent Cotchin. Unusual handball did it well.
Little handball goes out wide here from Short.
The Tigers on the attack here early.
Holding.
Fuck, we need this. This is a big fucking goal.
He'll do it.
Well done, Jack.
What a start for the Tigers, 26 plays 35.
Come on. Come on.
"Play on" calls the umpire,
as Bolton comes up with the ball.
The handball to the overlap run here from Graham.
Houli will need to find someone. Does.
Got it to Redwood. Off one step. Kick around the body.
Richmond go forward yet again.
- Tim? - Yeah?
Just keep reminding our players, outstanding use of numbers.
He's a long, long way out.
Has he got it home? He has! Here they come!
Suddenly the Cats, a little unraveled here.
- It's all Tigers.
Here's Hawkins to Ablett. Let go a ripper. Got it to Dahlhaus.
He gives it off here to Miers. Miers from 35 with a slider.
Got it. Cats on the rebound.
It's game on, boys.
A good Grand Final suddenly got better.
Both teams have had their bursts. A lot of it's been an arm wrestle.
Highball, Bolton there, Riewoldt tries to knock it forward.
Rioli had a crack at it as well. Spills to Martin,
a little right-foot slider, along the ground,
he's got another one!
Yeah!
Whoo-whoo!
On Brendon chewing gum. It's always...
He's looking pretty calm.
Well done. Good quarter.
Yeah, exactly right. It's the same sort of thing.
Just remain disciplined to what we gotta do.
One amazing quarter.
There's no doubt about it that we have an absolute thriller here.
Good job, good job. Okay, let's reset. We got a hell of a game, haven't we?
It's exactly the way we wanted, okay?
We wanted an arm-wrestle, now it's what we've got.
Nice and close. Listen.
You think about our year, where it started to where it is now.
I don't want it any other way.
We spoke about it at the start of the game, that stoic determination.
Well, this is the game you get to find out what is inside of you,
and what is inside of the bloke beside you.
These are the greatest games to be a part of,
and you get to fucking be a part of it. Richmond men, you know what you do?
- You fuckin' fight to the end. Let's go! - Come on!
As we go for the final term
in the most remarkable season.
Out wide. Baker was the rover.
Okay, here it comes.
Clever kick in the end to Riewoldt.
Got it out wide.
Here it comes. Here it comes. Here it comes.
Castagna, Lambert on to it. Beautiful kick. Oh!
That is turned.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Now the pressure's right on the Cats here.
Six of the last seven goals, the Tigers have kicked.
Two more goals, we're home.
Two more goals.
Play on.
Plays on quickly, Bolton.
Jump, jump, jump!
And then straightens up with a magnificent kick.
Now the Tigers are getting oh, so close.
Lambert found Martin.
Broke the tackle, got a skidder. Martin got it in!
Yeah!
Yes! Come on, fuckin' Dusty! Come on!
Yes!
Yeah!
Dusty has kicked three. Richmond by 22.
And just squirts it out to Riewoldt. That's a good mark.
Yeah! Whoo-hoo!
But he also has to know he has to reset as a forward.
Well done, mate. Congratulations.
Well done, boys.
Too good. Well done.
Hey, was a great game, mate. You're a fuckin good side.
Fuckin' hell, you blokes.
Can you believe it?
I can't, mate. I honestly can't.
Come on, Dustin, get another one.
He got it!
What a masterclass in coaching.
- Fuckin' hell! - Ah, mate!
- Yeah!
Fucking unbelievable, this.
- You're a star. - Can you believe it?
Your dynasty's complete, baby! Yeah!
- Well done, sir. - I fuckin' love you, mate.
- Me, too.
How good. Can you believe it?
Fuckin' hell, you're a star.
We've done it!
Can you believe it?
We've done it.
Look, I'm shaking, okay?
Yes, yes, yes, yes!
Ah!
Ha ha!
How was that?
Just remarkable, mate. Just remarkable, mate.
You were terrific, and I'm grateful.
Come on. Oh, mate, ay, Jesus Christ.
- I told ya, I told ya-- - You fuckin' did.
- I told ya. - Ah.
Oh, far out, lads.
Unbelievable.
No, fuck.
- I thought at half-time we'd fucked it. - Oh, so did I, yeah.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome up on stage, the winning coach.
From Richmond, Damien Hardwick.
We're an incredible side, an incredible organization,
so to Brendon and Peggy,
I applaud you guys as well.
I can't wait to see your statue, smacker, on the outside of Punt Road.
And finally, to the Tiger army both here and far, we thank you very much.
Without you guys, we don't exist. We play for you.
- Ready? - One, two, three...
- Yeah! - Ha ha!
Whoo-hoo!
Hi, Brendon.
Well, what about that, hey? That's an incredible job, Peggy.
-They've done an incredible job, and... - I know. Well, all of you have.
I was thinking back, I wanted to go, "Brendon, you were right.
Back-to-back does matter." It does matter.
It's a win to savor, Peggy. This is a win to savor, mate.
- This is a hard-won-- - Well, it is. It is.
And we got two flags to unfurl.
Well done. Enjoy this one. Enjoy.
- I'm enjoying it. - It's one to savor.
I've enjoyed them all, and I enjoyed this one the most, I think.
It's unbelievable.
What a team.
Just gonna change gear for a second. So, in Greek mythology,
there was a character by the name of Icarus. He was a fella...
and he wanted to touch the sun.
He always dreamed of touching the sun.
So, in order to do so, he made some wings of,
like, bird feathers lying around, stitched them together with wax,
and off he went, he tried to fly to the sun.
And he got close. He got too close, in fact, and the wax melted.
And he plunged to his death.
It's a sad story for Icarus. Not a great ending.
Stay with me.
I sometimes think-- I sometimes think that a career in AFL football
is a bit like Icarus.
All we're trying to do is touch the sun.
But unlike Icarus, every so often, we touch the sun.
We touch the sun.
- See ya, girls. - Good luck to the team.
See ya, everyone. Thanks, guys. It's been wonderful.
Been wonderful.
Wonderful work. Great memories. Thank you. Never forget.
It feels a bit sad today.
But looking forward to getting home.
It would've been hard to go home empty-handed, I reckon,
after a hundred-odd days, and all the sacrifices,
it's been worth it.
Um, and you love it when a plan comes to work.
Toora, boys. Till next time.