Carlton’s surge into the AFL’s wildcard round, from the lowly position it was in during the first half of this season, is the talk of the football world right now.

While there’s no denying that it has been an impressive achievement by the Blues, it pales in comparison with Richmond’s remarkable run to the finals in 2014.

After the Tigers’ loss to Sydney in Round 14 that season, they were 16th on the ladder, with three wins, 10 losses, and a whopping five games out of the top eight!

At that stage, not even the most optimistic, one-eyed yellow and black barracker would have dreamed what was about to unfold.

With absolutely no margin for error from that point on, Richmond reeled off nine consecutive wins to, incredibly, clinch a finals berth.

There were many contributors to the Tigers’ tremendous finish to that home-and-away season.

Star utility Brett Deledio polled 11 Brownlow Medal votes from those nine games, classy captain Trent Cotchin and relentless-running wingman Brandon Ellis nine Brownlow votes apiece, brilliant “bookends” Alex Rance (full-back) and Jack Riewoldt (full-forward) were at their match-saving/match-winning best respectively, Dusty did Dusty things, Shane Edwards was prominent, Ivan Maric provided significant grunt in the ruck, while the likes of Bachar Houli, Shaun Grigg, Anthony Miles, Troy Chaplin and Ricky Petterd played their roles extremely well.

Here are the match-by-match details of Richmond’s extraordinary charge to the 2014 finals...

Round 15 v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium
Richmond    6.2    10.4    13.7    18.9 (117)
St Kilda        1.2    5.4    9.7    11.7 (73)
Goals: Cotchin 5, Newman 2, Riewoldt 2, Vickery 2, Conca, Deledio, Edwards, B. Ellis, Grimes, Thomas, Vlastuin.
Leading possession-winners: B. Ellis 36, Cotchin 31, Deledio 30, Miles 27, Conca 26, Martin 24, Foley 22, Thomas 22, Edwards 20, Rance 19.
Cotchin: 3 Brownlow Medal votes.
B. Ellis: 2 Brownlow votes.
Rance: 1 Brownlow vote.

Round 16 v Brisbane, MCG
Richmond    5.2    7.3    10.4    12.7 (79)
Brisbane    3.3    4.5    6.10    7.12 (54)
Goals: Vickery 4, Edwards 2, Riewoldt 2, Arnot, Batchelor, Conca, Petterd.
Leading possession-winners: Cotchin 37, Martin 34, B. Ellis 32, Deledio 27, Edwards 27, Petterd 26, Jackson 24, Miles 24, Maric 21, Chaplin 20.
B. Ellis: 3 Brownlow votes.
Vickery: 1 Brownlow vote.

Round 17 v Port Adelaide, Marvel Stadium
Richmond    4.2    11.6    14.7    19.12 (126)
Port Adelaide    3.3    8.4    12.6    16.10 (106)
Goals: Lloyd 3, Riewoldt 3, Chaplin 2, Petterd 2, Vickery 2, Cotchin, Deledio, Edwards, Houli, Jackson, Martin, Vlastuin.
Leading possession-winners: B. Ellis 29, Miles 28, Cotchin 26, Deledio 26, Martin 25, Houli 23, Petterd 22, Riewoldt 22.
Miles: 2 Brownlow votes.
Cocthin: 1 Brownlow vote.

Round 18 v West Coast, Subiaco
Richmond    3.2    5.6    7.8    8.11 (59)
West Coast    2.1    4.1    5.4    6.6 (42)
Goals: Martin 2, Vickery 2, Cotchin, Miles, Riewoldt, Vlastuin.
Leading possession-winners: B. Ellis 27, Deledio 26, Foley 25, Martin 25, Miles 21, Thomas 21, Conca 20.
Martin: 2 Brownlow votes.
Deledio: 1 Brownlow vote.

Round 19 v Greater Western Sydney, MCG
Richmond    3.2    8.5    10.10    13.11 (89)
GWS        2.3    2.7    6.10    8.14 (62)
Goals: Deledio 2, Martin 2, Petterd 2, Cotchin, Edwards, B. Ellis, Griffiths, Houli, Riewoldt, Thomas.
Leading possession-winners: B. Ellis 34, Deledio 31, Cotchin 30, Rance 22, Edwards 21, Foley 20, Thomas 20.
B. Ellis: 3 Brownlow votes.
Deledio: 2 Brownlow votes.
Cotchin: 1 Brownlow vote.

Round 20 v Essendon, MCG
Richmond    1.2    7.4    9.8    14.11 (95)
Essendon    3.3    6.4    8.7    11.11 (77)
Goals: Deledio 2, Edwards 2, Gordon 2, Riewoldt 2, Cotchin, B. Ellis, Griffiths, Houli, Maric, Martin.
Leading possession-winners: B. Ellis 28, Miles 28, Cotchin 22, Martin 21, Deledio 19, Edwards 19, Petterd 19.
Cotchin: 2 Brownlow votes.
Miles: 1 Brownlow vote.

Round 21 v Adelaide, Adelaide Oval
Richmond    5.1    7.5    8.14    10.19 (79)
Adelaide    2.3    4.10    5.13    9.15 (69)
Goals: Deledio 2, Gordon 2, Martin 2, Cotchin Edwards, Foley, Griffiths.
Leading possession-winners: B. Ellis 31, Deledio 29, Cotchin 28, Miles 26, Foley 21, Rance 21.
Deledio: 3 Brownlow votes.
Cotchin: 2 Brownlow votes.
B. Ellis: 1 Brownlow vote.

Round 22 v St Kilda, MCG
Richmond    6.0    8.3    13.5    15.8 (98)
St Kilda        2.2    4.7     5.9    10.12 (72)
Goals: Riewoldt 6, Deledio 2, Griffiths 2, Batchelor, B. Ellis, Foley, Maric, Petterd.
Leading possession-winners: Chaplin 29, Houli 29, Deledio 26, Miles 25, Petterd 23, Batchelor 22, Cotchin 22, Grigg 21, Newman 21, Rance 21, Edwards 20, B. Ellis 20.
Riewoldt: 3 Brownlow votes.
Deledio: 2 Brownlow votes.
Miles: 1 Brownlow vote.

Round 23 v Sydney, Stadium Australia
Richmond    5.3    6.4    8.5    10.8 (68)
Sydney        2.1    4.3    7.6    9.11 (65)
Goals: Riewoldt 4, Deledio 3, Gordon, Martin, Miles.
Leading possession-winners: Cotchin 29, Deledio 29, B. Ellis 27, Chaplin 25, Edwards 25, Miles 25, Grigg 24, Martin 23. 
Deledio: 3 Brownlow votes.
Rance: 2 Brownlow votes.