JACK RIEWOLDT says his cousin Nick probably deserves a premiership medallion more than him.

Riewoldt sought advice from his cousin, recently retired St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt, in the lead-up to Richmond's drought-breaking 48-point Grand Final win over Adelaide at the MCG on Saturday. 

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Riewoldt had watched Nick, six years his senior, lead St Kilda into the 2009 and 2010 Grand Finals only to fall agonisingly short of a flag. 

The Saints lost to Geelong by 12 points in 2009, then drew with Collingwood a year later before losing the replay by 56 points. 

When Nick Riewoldt retired at the end of this season a premiership was one of the few things missing from a CV that included six best and fairest awards, five Virgin Australia All Australian selections and the 2004 AFLPA MVP award. 

Riewoldt, 28, thought he was destined to retire without a flag too when the Tigers slumped to a 13th-place finish last season.

But the dual Coleman medallist was wearing a premiership medallion when he walked off the MCG on Saturday, even if he was still struggling to comprehend that fact when he spoke in Richmond's rooms after the game.

It appeared to have sunk in an hour later, however, when he joined The Killers on stage at their post-game concert to enthusiastically add backing vocals to Mr Brightside. 

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"My cousin never won a premiership, and to be honest he probably deserves this more than I do," Riewoldt said.

"He's an amazing man, he certainly turned me into the person I am today.

"I love him, I spoke to him during the week about what Grand Final week would be like, but the family you have behind you is so important. He was certainly part of that."

With Tyrone Vickery traded to Hawthorn at the end of last season and Ben Griffiths' 2017 disrupted by lingering concussion symptoms, Riewoldt has been the lone tall in a Richmond forward line that, by AFL standards, is a land of midgets.

That the Tigers' attack functioned well enough to deliver the club its first flag in 37 years is in large part due to Riewoldt's leadership. 

Asked about his role in Richmond's forward line, Riewoldt joked:  "I just try to lead them and wind them up and let them go, they're awesome. They play their role, battle out of their weight division." 

But Richmond skipper Trent Cotchin said his long-time teammate deserved kudos for his 2017 season, on and off the field.

"He's been super impressive, Jack, selfless and deservedly a premiership player now. I'm so stoked for him," Cotchin said. 

"I was so rapt for him firstly to be brought into the leadership group, made vice-captain and it's been a pleasure working both with him and 'Rancey' (Alex Rance), alongside a number of people this year. 

"The forwards are so young and the way Jack's lead them - he's embraced them, he's loved them – that makes a big difference."

When some of the young Tigers' nerves seemed to jangle at the start of the Grand Final, Riewoldt led from the front.

At the six-minute mark of the opening term, he flew over Crows defender Jake Lever and teammate Jacob Townsend to take a mark that would compare favourably with some of the best Grand Final speccies, then over the next few minutes had Richmond's first three scorings shots, narrowly missing the big sticks with each.  

"It was pretty close, it could have been three goals. I hit them pretty well, one of them I was trying to pass to 'Towner' (Jacob Townsend)," Riewoldt said. 

Riewoldt broke his goal drought early in the second quarter, when he snapped truly from 40m to kick-start a run of seven consecutive Richmond majors that swung the Grand Final. 

He then kicked the opening goal of the final term to swell the Tigers' lead to 40 points, effectively serving notice that they weren't about to allow a last-quarter Adelaide rally. 

Riewoldt finished with 14 disposals, six marks (three contested, equalled only by teammate Rance), six tackles, five inside-50s and 2.3 in another highly effective day at the office. 

"I finished up having five shots at goal and kicked a couple and I felt like those goals were at important times, which was awesome," Riewoldt said. 

"I sat down with 'Cotch' at the end of last season and I honestly spoke to him about the fact that I might never play in a premiership, but I'm going to leave some sort of stamp on the club so that Daniel Rioli might play in a flag after I leave. 

"But it's amazing when you just focus on the little things, you focus on the process, the results you can achieve. The group bared its soul to each other and it's really proven fruitful."

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