After 191 games, great Richmond man Nathan Broad will call time on an illustrious career in Saturday's clash with St Kilda.

The three-time premiership player has cemented his legacy at Punt Road, making lifelong friendships along the way.

Among that list is two-time premiership teammate Brandon Ellis, who took Broad under his wing when he was first drafted to the Club in 2015. The pair went on to live together for the next four years.

“I was looking for a housemate, and I remember the first time he came to the Club, we went out for breakfast, and we got along so well, so I thought this guy would be the perfect candidate for me,” Ellis told Richmond Media.

“He wasn't very talented, so he had to work super hard to stay in the team, to work on his craft and to get better.

“It was just a privilege to be able to watch him every single day, to be able to do that and to see where he came from to where he is now. It's just a testament to himself.

“He worked a lot harder than everyone else to get to where he was, and I can testify to that as well.”

Across Broad’s tremendous 11 seasons at the Swinburne Centre, the 33-year-old has been coached and mentored by some of Richmond’s greatest figures.

Including none other than three-time premiership-winning coach Damien Hardwick, who Broad thanked for always believing in him every step of the way.

“One of the great Richmond men and the Richmond Football Club are very lucky to have players like him,” Hardwick said.

“I did text him in the last couple of days, and the amount of games doesn’t give credit to the capacity of what he has given to that Football Club.

“He is an incredible glue guy, a great connector of people, a great teammate, a great father, a great son and just a great Richmond man.

“It was a privilege to coach the guy. He will go down as one of the all-time greats. Although he has won a lot of premiership medals, the value of Nathan goes beyond the medals.

“He was a wonderful servant for that Football Club and they were very lucky to have him, and I was very lucky to coach him.”

Former Richmond backline coaches Ben Rutten and Adam Kingsley also played a major role in Broad’s development, instilling the confidence to play his game and take on any opponent. 

Rutten joined Richmond as assistant coach under Hardwick in 2014 and was a part of the Club’s 2017 premiership, Broad's first of three flags, despite the defender having played just 11 AFL games at the time. 

“Broady is the ultimate team man and teammate. He is as reliable as they come, and has always displayed an exceptional work ethic, positive attitude and had a never-give-up approach to his footy,” Rutten said.

“Broady has always been the glue that connected all players at the Club, and for that, and many other reasons, he is universally respected.

“As a three-time premiership player, he should be incredibly proud of his AFL career.”

Furthermore, Kingsley joined Richmond in 2018 as an assistant coach and formed a friendship with Broad, crediting much of Richmond’s on-field success to the heart and soul defender.

“Broady is a star. He is one of those unheralded guys at Richmond that if he isn’t there they don’t win,” Kingsley said. 

“His understanding of the game, the connection that he has and his ability to play a variety of roles was critically important to that really successful Richmond team.

“I did read somewhere that he has played the least amount of games for three premierships in the history of the game and he deserved it. He is an absolute star.”

Broad will run out in his last AFL game this Saturday when Richmond takes on St Kilda at the MCG. GET TICKETS HERE.