1. This Tiger cub was born for finals
South Australian youngster Jack Graham etched his name into premiership folklore with the performance of his life. In just his fifth career game for Richmond, the 19-year-old and youngest player on the ground booted three goals and did a superb job in limiting Crows star Rory Sloane's influence in the second half. In another life, Graham could have been playing for the Crows. They could have taken Graham – the captain of SA's Under-18s team last year – with the 44th pick of the 2016 draft. Instead, they passed and the Tigers pounced on Graham with pick No.53. They're extremely glad they did.
2. Nothing will be safe on Punt Road after this historic premiership triumph
If you thought last year was big with the Western Bulldogs' emotional victory, another premiership party of monumental proportions will take over Melbourne as the Tigers snapped a 37-year title drought. The Tigers built their outstanding Grand Final victory on a brutal onslaught in the second and third quarters, where they booted nine goals to one. The Tigers were stunned in the first term, but rallied behind a massive game from Dustin Martin to send the Tigers' faithful into a spin. More than 100,000 success-starved supporters will be celebrating long into the night after one of the most brilliant performances in the club's storied history.
3. A lot of people were very wrong about Damien Hardwick
It was less than 12 months ago that factions of Richmond's supporter base wanted Damien Hardwick out of the top job, following a mixed bag of results in his seven previous seasons. How wrong those people were. Hardwick has made some bold selection choices this year along with instilling a resolute belief and a game plan built on a foundation of intense pressure. In taking the Tigers to the promised land, he has got the very best out of this team and has pulled the right rein at every opportunity. His small forward line was a risk, but it paid off in spades. What a remarkable achievement.
4. There's no one quite like Dusty
What a week it's been for the Tiger superstar. Monday: win a Brownlow Medal. Saturday: dominate the Grand Final, fend off Crows defenders with ease and pick up the Norm Smith Medal as the best on ground. Martin was huge in the first half with 14 touches. He was just as good in the second, winning the ball in the guts and hitting the scoreboard, finishing with two goals. Martin raised his arms in pure delight with his fourth-quarter goal that capped a historic achievement. He is the first player to win Brownlow, Norm Smith and premiership medals in the same year.
5. Rance is not alone in an outstanding Tiger backline
If it wasn't for Dustin Martin, then surely Tigers key defender Alex Rance would have collected the Norm Smith Medal. It's hard to remember a better 11-possession game in a Grand Final. Rance was the rock of the Tigers' backline, regularly plucking intercept marks and shutting down the Crows' forwards. But it wasn't a one-man show. Bachar Houli was super across half-back, Nick Vlaustuin responded after a tough first quarter, Nathan Broad did his job and Dylan Grimes kept Eddie Betts quiet. The Tigers pride themselves on everyone performing their roles, and this was no more evident than in defence.
6. Jack Riewoldt is resilient
A case of the Grand Final yips looked on the cards for the Tigers key forward, when he kicked three consecutive behinds after the Crows booted the first two goals of the game. But instead of dropping his head, Riewoldt got himself back into the contest. He laid tackles, chased everything within sight, applied great pressure in the attacking 50 and hauled in a couple of clutch contested marks. No one deserved to kick a huge fourth-quarter goal more than jumping Jack, who left his mark on this premiership triumph.
7. The potent Crows' attack can be contained
The Crows were the highest scoring team in the competition heading into the Grand Final, but their forwards barely fired a shot. Skipper Taylor Walker kicked two goals, but was mostly well held. Small forward Eddie Betts couldn't shake Dylan Grimes and booted just the one major. Josh Jenkins didn't hit the scoreboard and was unable to have an influence on the game. The Tigers' defence was absolutely superb in shutting down the Crows' attacking weapons. The Crows bombed the ball into their forward 50 and didn't give their forwards the sublime service they needed.
8. An intriguing off-season looms for Crows as they aim for redemption
Focus for Don Pyke's men now turns to the NAB AFL Trade Period as they deal with the possible departures of defender Jake Lever and forward Charlie Cameron. Lever was outstanding in a beaten side, while Cameron showed glimpses of his class without having a massive impact. The Crows are likely to have another go at luring experienced midfielder Bryce Gibbs from Carlton, while Geelong forward Steven Motlop could also potentially be on their radar. The Crows will also expect natural progression from youngsters Jordan Gallucci, Myles Poholke and Tom Doedee. The minor premiers aren't far off, but they must continue to improve if they want to win the club's first premiership since 1998.
9. A Tiger speedster's sprint was a victory omen
Tigers fans were cheering loud when Connor Menadue blitzed the field to take it out the half-time sprint. Melbourne's Jayden Hunt was the pre-race favourite, but Menadue kicked on strongly in the back-end of the 100m for an easy win. It proved to be a sign of things to come as the Tigers booted five goals to one in the third quarter to establish a 34-point lead at the final change. Of course Menadue didn't feature in the game itself, but in his own small part he helped fuel the Tiger frenzy already building to full voice thanks to the 100,021 crowd.
10. The Killers know how to seriously rock footy's brightest stage
As Meatloaf memorably proved, Grand Final pre-game entertainment can be a risky business, but US rockers The Killers knocked it out of the park with their sensational set. With charismatic frontman Brandon Flowers taking centre stage in an electric blue jacket, they had the capacity crowd jumping with a couple of their originals to start things off. However, it was a brilliant cover of Midnight Oil's classic Forgotten Years that earned rave reviews and supporters from both teams and social media and in raptures. That was followed by Read My Mind before they deleivered the best for last with their greatest hit, Mr Brightside. The Killers have set the bar extremely high for whoever takes on the big gig in 12 months' time.
