Richmond has a good record overall in the season following each league football premiership it has won.
The Tigers have made it back-to-back flags twice (in 1921 and 1974), finished runner-up on two occasions (1933 and 1944) and third twice (1935 and 1975).
They’ve missed the finals four times post-premiership (1922, 1968, 1970 and 1981), but could consider themselves a bit unlucky in two of those seasons – 1968, when they won 14 of 20 games and were just two points (half a game) adrift of fourth-placed team St Kilda (under the final-four system), and 1981, when they won 13 of 22 games and were four points behind fifth-placed Fitzroy (under the final-five system).
Here’s the full list of how Richmond has fared in each season following premiership success, as well as the Tigers’ Round 1 record in those years . . .
1920 premiership
1921 finish: Second at the end of the home-and-away season. Went on to win the premiership, defeating Carlton in the Grand Final at the MCG by four points – 5.6 (36) to 4.8 (32).
Total games played: 19
Won: 15
Lost: 4
Round 1 result: Lost to Carlton by nine points at Punt Road – 7.11 (53) to 8.14 (62)
1921 premiership
1922 finish: Fifth (in a final-four system) at the end of the home-and-away season.
Games played: 16
Won: 7
Lost: 9
Round 1 result: Defeated Collingwood by 17 points at Punt Road – 10.13 (73) to 8.8 (56).
1932 premiership
1933 finish: Top of the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season. Went on to lose the Grand Final against South Melbourne at the MCG by 42 points – 4.5 (29) to 9.17 (71).
Total games played: 21
Won: 16
Lost: 5
Round 1 result: Defeated Melbourne by 32 points at the MCG – 14.12 (96) to 9.10 (64).
1934 premiership
1935 finish: Fourth at the end of the home-and-away season. Went on to lose the preliminary final against Collingwood at the MCG by 28 points – 9.12 (66) to 14.10 (94).
Total games played: 20
Won: 13
Lost: 7
Round 1 result: Defeated Footscray by 35 points at the Western Oval – 14.12 (96) to 7.19 (61).
1943 premiership
1944 finish: Top of the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season. Went on to lose the Grand Final against Fitzroy at the Junction Oval by 15 points – 7.9 (51) to 9.12 (66).
Total games played: 21
Won: 14
Lost: 6
Drew: 1
Round 1 result: Defeated Melbourne by 40 points at Punt Road – 19.18 (132) to 14.8 (92).
1967 premiership
1968 finish: Fifth (in a final-four system) at end of the home-and-away season.
Games played: 20
Won: 14
Lost: 6
Round 1 result: Defeated Collingwood by 16 points at Victoria Park – 11.22 (88) to 10.12 (72).
1969 premiership
1970 finish: Sixth (final-four system) at end of the home-and-away season.
Games played: 22
Won: 12
Lost: 10
Round 1 result: Lost to Fitzroy by 20 points at the MCG (first-ever game of league football on a Sunday) – 14.12 (96) to 16.20 (116).
1973 premiership
1974 finish: Top of the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season. Went on to win the premiership (making it back-to-back flags), defeating North Melbourne in the Grand Final at the MCG by 41 points – 18.20 (128) to 13.9 (87).
Total games played: 24
Won: 19
Lost: 5
Round 1 result: Lost to Hawthorn by 16 points at the MCG – 12.16 (88) to 15.14 (104).
1974 premiership
1975 finish: Fourth at the end of the home-and-away season. Went on to lose the preliminary final against North Melbourne at Waverley Park by 17 points – 8.11 (59) to 10.16 (76).
Total games played: 25
Won: 15
Lost: 10
Round 1 result: Defeated Fitzroy by five points at the Junction Oval – 15.13 (103) to 14.14 (98).
1980 premiership
1981 finish: Seventh (final-five system).
Games played: 22
Won: 13
Lost: 9
Round 1 result: Lost to Carlton by 62 points at Waverley Park – 12.10 (82) to 22.12 (144).
