RICHMOND'S players will draw upon how shattered they felt after last year's finals loss to Carlton as they prepare for Sunday's sudden-death clash with Port Adelaide.

Seeking their first finals victory since 2001, the Tigers were 32 points up early in the second quarter against the Blues.

But they collapsed in the last 50 minutes of the game and lost by 20 points.

It was a particularly galling loss, as Richmond had ended the home and away season in fifth place on the ladder, whereas Carlton had finished ninth before being elevated into the finals after Essendon was stripped of its place.

Tigers pair in the  mix for elimination final

"It's hard not to reflect on last year," Tigers skipper Trent Cotchin said on Monday.

"The disappointment, the empty feeling you have after a game.
  
"I think what we learned last year was it doesn't matter how strong a position you are in at any stage in the game, it can always be taken away from you.
  
"That's something we've shown in the past month or two, that it needs to mean something to you, and you need to stand up at times when you're called upon.

"We take a lot of confidence out of the way we've been playing and just look forward to putting in a really strong four-quarter effort."

Tigers coach Damien Hardwick agrees that his men learned plenty of important lessons during last year's loss to the Blues.

And he believes Richmond's remarkable nine-game winning run, which has powered it into the finals, has taught his men how to prevail in all types of circumstances.

"We've been playing elimination finals for the last five or six weeks, so it's been a common theme," Hardwick said.

"Our guys have stood up at every challenge. They've been headed at various stages, and I personally think we would've lost some of those games last year.