Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says the Tigers’ 3-10 start to the season now feels like "a lifetime ago".

The Club secured a back-to-back finals appearance with a gutsy three-point win against Sydney at ANZ Stadium on Saturday.

"It does feel a long time ago. It’s been an enormous journey since then," he said.

"The momentum the guys have gained and the way they’re playing is terrific. It seems like a lifetime ago.

"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 going forward."

Despite what looms as a difficult trip to face the Power in week one of the finals, Hardwick won't be putting a ceiling on what his side could now achieve.

"I think our boys have got an unbelievable belief in what they’re doing," he said.

"However they go is entirely up to them, the way they play, the spirit they show."

Hardwick then channelled his inner Bob Hawke when he was asked if there would be a 'Tiger Army' waiting for them at the airport when they return to Melbourne.

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

Hardwick believes the Richmond has displayed form this season that has bettered what it produced in 2013.

"Yeah, no doubt," he said. "We’re in games all the time.

"There were stages last year when I don’t think we played as good a footy as we have this year.

"The ability for us to win contested ball – we beat the Swans by 16 today (164-148), which very rarely happens.

"Our guys just hung tough. It’s important we play a finals brand of footy so it’s nothing we’re not used to next Sunday."

Richmond's 10.8 (68) to 9.11 (65) win over the premiership favourites at ANZ Stadium was its ninth consecutive victory.

That guaranteed the Tigers consecutive finals series for the first time since 1975.