RICHMOND was prepared to have a crack at a miracle this season, keeping intact its ageing list and bringing in two high-profile recruits as it sought to add the 2023 flag to those secured in 2017, 2019 and 2020.
As a club, it had earned the right to attempt the ambitious project. When Jack Riewoldt publicly announced last September he would play a 17th season in 2023, he embraced the challenge: "I'm not playing for any sort of financial gain really – I'm playing for another premiership."
The flag dream never took shape, and become impossible when Tom Lynch broke down in round four. Despite having a genuine crack in every match, even in a 44-point loss to Sydney in round five and troubling some good teams, it officially ended last week when coach Damien Hardwick informed senior Richmond people after a one-point loss to Essendon that he would be quitting immediately.
For Richmond, a future with a very different outlook began in that instant.
There was no Hardwick, for the first time since round one 2010, at the MCG on Sunday when the Tigers lost to Yartapuulti under interim coach Andrew McQualter. The club now sits 15th on the ladder with three wins and a draw from 11 matches.
But present for the Power match were Riewoldt, who made his debut in 2007, and former captain Trent Cotchin (debut 2008), who like Riewoldt, had spent much of the 2022 season considering retirement before committing to the 2023 miracle attempt.
As has been the case regularly this season, neither player impacted the game. Riewoldt had five disposals for no goals and has 16 goals for the season. Cotchin had 11 disposals. Apart from a three-goal performance in a round nine win against Geelong, he has struggled to have meaningful effect this year.
Timings around the official exits of all-time great players at clubs is always sensitive and often difficult. But now that Richmond is in post-Hardwick and post-flag chasing mode, it will no doubt be giving consideration to how that looks for Riewoldt and Cotchin.
Both deserve the grandest of celebrations in their final games before they both seemingly inevitably enter the Australian Football Hall Of Fame as first ballot inductees, Riewoldt a three-time Coleman Medallist and Cotchin a Brownlow Medallist and three-time premiership captain.
An official Tigers send-off should come well before the final game of 2023, which is scheduled for round 23 at Adelaide Oval against the team that beat it on the weekend.
The farewell will need to be at the Tigers' home, the MCG, and five of Richmond's remaining games are at that venue.
The next one is round 14, against St Kilda. Maybe that is too soon. But maybe it would be perfect. A Saturday night marquee slot. It could be built up to fever pitch. Richmond has a bye following that match, which would allow a reset for everyone for the final nine matches of the year.
With the Hardwick exit dramatically bringing forward all future Richmond plans, it wouldn't be the biggest Tigers shock of 2023 if that game was to the be the last for two of the most important players to ever represent the club.
Provided he stayed fit in the next two games, that match against the Saints would be Cotchin's 300th. That occasion might just be the most fitting and grandest of ways for him and Riewoldt to say goodbye.
