RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick says the Tigers are stronger for the "bumps" they have ridden in their season on the way to Saturday night's premiership decider against Geelong. 

The Tigers have had a tumultuous campaign off-field, which peaked when they sent Sydney Stack and Callum Coleman-Jones home after their late-night altercation in Gold Coast's nightclub district. 

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The pair were banned for 10 games after leaving the hub, while the club was handed a fine of $100,000. At the time Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale said the club's "brand" had been damaged.

It was the club's second COVID-19 protocols breach after Brooke Cotchin, the wife of skipper Trent, visited a beauty clinic earlier in the season.  

Ahead of this weekend's historic Toyota AFL Grand Final clash with the Cats, Hardwick said the Tigers had managed to learn from the challenges while on the road in their Queensland hub.  

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"We were disappointed obviously. We pride ourselves on our culture and how we cope as an organisation. But the reality is, up here, there was always going to be bumps along the way. The one thing you can always say is your organisation is really defined by those bumps," he said on Friday. 

"It's easy when the road's smooth and you can sit there and just sit above the water. But I think you find a lot about yourself and a lot about your people when times are tough and we went to work. We were disappointed, we accepted responsibility, but we learn from it along the way.  

"A couple of those incidents with young Callum Coleman-Jones and Sydney Stack will define them at some stage. They're both quality lads and they made a mistake, but what we always take out of it is we can learn from the experience. I think that's what good organisations do.  

"It's not to say we're not always learning, and sometimes we are disappointed, but the fact of the matter is I think it makes us stronger as the end result." 

Hardwick, who is aiming to steer Richmond to back-to-back premierships and their third flag in four seasons, said the Tigers were expecting to go into the game unchanged.