IN LATE June, at the end of round 14, the Tigers sat two spots from the bottom of the ladder. A Friday night loss to the Swans at the MCG saw their record plummet to 3-10, leaving them level on wins with the two sides propping up the competition.

Barely two months on, Saturday's three-point victory over the Swans at ANZ Stadium capped a nine-game winning streak that catapulted Richmond into a second straight finals series.

Here's how one of footy's most remarkable comeback stories unfolded.

Round 15 - St Kilda 11.7 (73) lost to Richmond 18.9 (117) at Etihad Stadium

The result
A six-goal opening quarter proves enough for the Tigers, who fail to convince after quarter time against the lowly Saints. Skipper Trent Cotchin responds to midweek criticism about his failure to hurt teams. He kicks a career-best five goals.
Read the match report

The ladder
The Tigers start the round in a miserable 16th position. With just 12 points on the board they are equal on wins with the two sides propping up the table: the Brisbane Lions and St Kilda. The win over the bottom-placed Saints lifts them to 13th, four wins and percentage adrift from Gold Coast in eighth spot.

Pos	Team	P	W	L	Pts	%
12	WB	14	5	9	20	82.4
13	RICH	14	4	10	16	96.5
14	CARL	14	4	10	16	87.1

What the coach said
"It's always good to win – obviously we (hadn't) had one for a while. We have been incredibly disappointing this year. Me (and) the players … share the fans' frustration."

Round 16 - Richmond 12.7 (79) d Brisbane Lions 7.12 (54) at the MCG

The result
The comfortable 25-point margin belies periods of panic for the Tigers. The Lions close within a point in the third quarter and hammer Richmond for the opening seven minutes of the final term. They blow three shots on goal before the ball sails down the other end, where a grateful Jack Riewoldt kicks the sealer. Cotchin is again best afield, racking up 37 touches.
Read the match report

The ladder
Another win and another spot gained for the Tigers, who climb to 12th. The progression seems academic though. The Suns' win over Collingwood keeps Richmond a massive 16 points from the eight.

Pos	Team	P	W	L	Pts	%
11	WCE	15	6	9	24	107.7
12	RICH	15	5	10	20	98.6
13	CARL	15	5	10	20	93.6

What the coach said
"I thought we were poor today … We constantly gave the ball to a guy who was in a worse position … I started jeering as well (as the fans) when we kicked the ball forward."

Round 17 - Richmond 19.12 (126) d Port Adelaide 16.10 (106) at Etihad Stadium

The result
Damien Hardwick praises his side's hardness as the Tigers deliver the upset of the round. Switched on from the opening bounce, the Tigers boss the contested ball and surge to a 20-point lead at half-time. Unlike against North Melbourne in round 12, when they conceded a 36-point lead, they put Port away in a fiercely contested second half.
Read the match report

The ladder
The win over the Power, who were third coming into the match, does nothing for the Tigers' ladder position. However, they do gain on the pack. Gold Coast stumbles against the Bulldogs and Collingwood is thrashed by Essendon. Those results leave Richmond three games shy of the eight, with a percentage over 100 for the first time since round 10.

Pos	Team	P	W	L	Pts	%
11	WCE	16	7	9	28	108.2
12	RICH	16	6	10	24	100.1
13	WB	16	6	10	24	84.9

What the coach said
"I thought our guys' hardness and ability to win the ball inside and then get it outside was really evident on the day. It's something we've worked incredibly hard with over the course of, probably, the last six weeks."

Round 18 - West Coast 6.6 (42) lost to Richmond 8.11 (59) at Patersons Stadium

The result
Tyrone Vickery spoils the celebrations as the Tigers knock off a finals contender for the second game running. Vickery's KO of West Coast ruckman Dean Cox later earns him a four-week suspension. The incident overshadows a hard-fought win in atrocious conditions, with a Trent Cotchin soccer goal a rare highlight.
Read the match report

The ladder
Though the Tigers finish their third straight round in 12th position, the continuing decline of Collingwood and Gold Coast puts them within view of the finals. The Crows are now in eighth place, with nine wins to Richmond's seven.

Pos	Team	P	W	L	Pts	%
11	WCE	17	7	10	28	106.6
12	RICH	17	7	10	24	101.3
13	CARL	17	6	11	24	91.5

What the coach said
"There's some things that went against us, some sliding doors (earlier in the season). We lost a couple of games by under two or three goals, but unfortunately when things aren't going well you don't take your luck.

"The disappointing thing (about the club's four-game winning streak) is whether it's too late.

Round 19 - Richmond 13.11 (89) d GWS 8.14 (62) at the MCG

The result
Two MCG light towers fail during the second quarter of this twilight clash, leaving both sides playing in dim light for around 10 minutes before half time. The gloom appears to benefit the Tigers, who pile on 5.3 to 0.4 in the quarter to set the course of their fifth consecutive win. Brett Deledio stars, while Reece Conca's brain fade sees Richmond lose another player to suspension.
Read the match report

The ladder
Damien Hardwick's men find themselves treading water again. Still 12th, they stay firmly among the also-runs. Collingwood's win over Port to close the round creates a log jam around eighth spot, with four teams on 40 points. In a poll on AFL.com.au, 52 per cent of over 20,000 voters tip Adelaide to finish highest.

Pos	Team	P	W	L	Pts	%
11	WCE	18	8	10	32	108.3
12	RICH	18	8	10	32	103.1
13	CARL	18	6	12	24	91.6

What the coach said
"We've got to win a lot of games. We're capable of upsetting some sides but we look no further than Essendon next week."

Round 20 - Richmond 14.11 (95) d Essendon 11.11 (77) at the MCG

The result
Despite round 17's win over Port, crowd wisdom held that the Tigers hadn't beaten significant opposition in their five-game streak to this point. This win in a Friday night blockbuster changes all that. Brandon Ellis calls the shots as a six-goal second term does the damage; young recruit Anthony Miles also continuing a rich vein of form. The streak stretches to six games – the club's best run in 19 years.
Read the match report

The ladder
The win over an old enemy is sweetened further by a round in which almost everything goes the Tigers' way. Collingwood loses to the Eagles in Perth and Carlton rolls the Suns, drawing the Tigers within four points of Essendon, in eighth. For all this, they remain 12th.

Pos	Team	P	W	L	Pts	%
11	WCE	19	9	10	36	111.8
12	RICH	19	9	10	36	104.1
13	CARL	19	7	12	28	94.0

What the coach said
"I think [we are better than last year] . It's probably a more consistent brand of footy.

"You've got to remember we … lost six games by under three goals, which is a story. We should have beaten sides that we didn't and didn’t take our chances when they presented so we only have ourselves to blame."

Round 21 - Adelaide 9.15 (69) lost to Richmond 10.19 (79) at Adelaide Oval

The result
If Tiger fans didn't believe finals were a possibility before the trip to Adelaide, they certainly do once Dustin Martin's late sealer earns another win on the road. Deledio and Ellis are again at the heart of the victory at a rain-soaked Adelaide Oval.
Read the match report

The ladder
Once again, results elsewhere benefit Richmond. The Magpies suffer a season-wrecking Saturday night at the Gabba, losing three key players to injury and collapsing to a 67-point loss to the Brisbane Lions. The Suns and West Coast also lose, and by round's end the Tigers are in a position with which their fans have become wearily familiar. Ninth.

Pos	Team	P	W	L	Pts	%
8	ADEL	20	10	10	40	111.2
9	RICH	20	10	10	40	104.5
10	COLL	20	10	10	40	96.9

What the coach said
"We always knew that if we continued to work hard the wheel would turn.

"I'm incredibly proud of our footy club the way they've battled against the odds to get us in a position to play [finals]. We've just got to hope that we continue to win games to get that reward."

Round 22 - Richmond 15.8 (98) d St Kilda 10.12 (72) at the MCG

The result There are few signs of nerves in a match the Tigers are expected to win, as Jack Riewoldt's six-goal haul makes short work of the Saints. Seven straight goals opens up a 50-point lead before Hardwick's men take the foot off the gas. Riewoldt takes best-on-ground honours while Shane Edwards impresses in his 150th game.
Read the match report

The ladder
In the accepted wisdom of the week, this was the rise before the fall. The routine win over the Saints lifts Richmond into the eight for the first time all season. Of course, a round-23 date with the league leaders in Sydney means they are unlikely to stay there. Voting on an AFL.com.au poll at the end of the round, 53 per cent of fans pick the Eagles to soar past the Tigers into the finals.

Pos	Team	P	W	L	Pts	%
7	ESS	21	12	9	48	106.7
8	RICH	21	11	10	44	105.8
9	COLL	21	11	10	44	97.4

What the coach said
"There's no better way to try and earn your spot by trying to beat the best. The reality is this is a finals game this week. Most people will say it starts the week after, but for us it's as good as (a final). We'll just make sure we go out and leave nothing in the tank."

Round 23 - Sydney Swans 9.11 (65) lost to Richmond 10.8 (68) at ANZ Stadium

The result
Rank outsiders before the match, the Tigers hit the table-topping Swans like a freight train. With Lance Franklin's late withdrawal doubtless providing a welcome boost, they rattle up 5.3 before the Swans kick their first score. The league leaders hit back as their unrivalled midfield shifts through the gears. The Swans take the lead early in the final quarter, setting up a grandstand finish in which the Tigers, defying all expectations bar their own, somehow prevail. Read the match report

The ladder
The tackle on Adam Goodes. Ted Richards' slip and Dustin Martin's gleeful canter into an open goal. Pick your moment. The round-23 miracle at ANZ stadium completes one of the most remarkable runs to September for many years. It secures eighth place, earning the Tigers' second finals series in a row, and only their fourth since losing the 1982 Grand Final.

Pos	Team	P	W	L	D	Pts	%
7	ESS	22	12	9	1	50	106.3
8	RICH	22	12	10	0	48	105.8

What the coach said
"(Round 14) seems like a lifetime ago. It's been an enormous journey since then.

"Credit to our footy club though, every time we set foot in those four walls, we remained upbeat and at no stage did anyone come in and look down on life.

"We’ve turned the corner and laid the foundations of sustained success. It’s been an important year for us.

"Any boss that doesn’t give a Tiger fan a day off next Friday to start the drive to Adelaide is a mug."