TheLoungeLizard
The world's most handsome man
Late in the glorious afternoon of Saturday the 28th of September, 2019 Daniel Rioli centered the ball to our skipper, Trent Cotchin.
Cotchin took off, streaming through the heart of the MCG, the heart of AFL - on the game's biggest stage.
With a bounce and big profile recruit, Tom Lynch leading up at him, Cotchin let rip his biggest kick of his career.
All the years of hatred and sadness all gone in seconds as the ball soared through the Punt Road end.
Oh how glorious it was as Richmond went on to win their second flag in three years to a crowd of 100 000 AFL fans, right before we all congregated to Swan Street to celebrate as an army.
Fast forward to Thursday the 11th of June, 2020 and Richmond are playing Collingwood in the second round of the AFL season.
What was unknown to us at the time of our skippers goal was that their was going to be an unprecedented global pandemic, which would halt not only our footy season, back to back hopes, but for many, our lives.
The COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation as boarders were shut, games of footy cancelled, businesses closed and schools went online.
For many of us, Richmond winning another flag seemed completely irrelevant, not even 6 months after winning another flag was everything.
Despite the shutdown of the AFL industry, the AFL got it going again.
And how glorious it was!
Footy was back and while we sat in our homes doing everything we could to avoid this strange, silent killer, we watched from our screens as Cotchin, Dusty and Edwards took the field.
No longer would we meet at The Corner Hotel or the London to wet our whistles before charging as one into the G', taking our rightful seats behind 'Cotchy's goals and yelling our hearts out, acting as the 19th man.
This year was about home support.
But, we had so many positives.
Jack Higgins was back after life-threatening brain surgery!
Had his career of been over, no one would have minded - but there he was, back on the MCG kicking 'snags'.
Young gun Sydney Stack was gearing up for another big season, to prove to us he was more than a flash-in-the-pan and we could finally see the Jack-Lynch combo we were robbed of for so much of 2019 as we focused again on our back-to-back dreams.
And in the greater AFL, our season was on!
Young cubs Brisbane set out to show the AFL world they we no Melbourne, while Melbourne set out to show us they were not the Dee's of this century with new recruit, Harley Bennell debuting in emotional scenes.
St Kilda had a new coach and 5 big trade ins.
Port Adelaide were celebrating 150 years and Ken Hinkley didn't shy away from his ambitions as the Crows set out on their rebuild across the river.
Carlton and North both with new coaches came to play and let the faithful know they were back in business.
But as the year grew, Victoria became a scary place to be as a football club so the 9 Victorian sides packed their bags for what was to be 5 weeks of hub life, following in the footsteps of the Adelaide and Western Australian clubs on the sunny Gold Coast.
5 weeks quickly turned into a season as players adjusted to their new hotel lives, leaving behind pets and family while the AFL took the biggest stage to Queensland for the first time in VFL/AFL history.
Our own Bachar Houli and Shane Edwards staying in Melbourne for the births of their youngest.
Our enemies on Saturday night, the Geelong Football Club, had their fair share of movement too.
Star recruit Jack Stevens had a delayed start to his new home after a strange off field incident while the game's greatest star in Gary Ablett Jnr, having returned from his own stay on the Gold Coast in pursuit of one more Cat flag went home for his own personal reasons, before returning with 'Shedda'.
And yet, as the game went on and teams dropped off, only 8 were left.
Collingwood surprised the AFL world knocking off the Eagles over in the West, while the Saints took care of the Bulldogs in another Elimination Final.
Richmond lost to the Lions as they flexed their muscle for the first time in 12 years and Port showed they are serious with a win over Geelong.
A week later, Richmond showed why they are the reigning champs against the Saints and the Pies, having spent their tickets the week prior, gave no yelp to Geelong in Brisbane.
The Port Adelaide v Tigers Prelim was one for the ages as we slogged it out in the rain for a epic 6 point win and the Cats showed why they have been one of the best for 15 years with a breakthrough win against Brisbane.
The Richmond v Geelong Grand Final on paper shapes up to be a all time classic, however paper is rarely reality.
The Cats like to play a very slow, kick and mark game which will fall right into the hands of a hardened Richmond who swarm on slow play and pressure you into mistakes.
If Geelong play it slow and move handballs backwards to set up their switch, they will concede more goals than they kick.
They must move the ball low and fast with kicks if they are any chance.
Key match ups will be Balta v Hawkins, Nankervis v Stanley and Lynch v Henderson with the Dusty v Danger match up already making Channel 7 drool.
Can the new dynasty cement itself against the old timers?
With no key injuries or form coming into play, one would assume both sides go in unchanged from their Prelims.
My tip?
Richmond by 35+ as we gain early ascendency, much like last years Grand Final and take our back-to-back we so richly deserve and we can only pray for a COVID free 2021 and an assault on the 3peat.
Eat 'Em Alive!
Cotchin took off, streaming through the heart of the MCG, the heart of AFL - on the game's biggest stage.
With a bounce and big profile recruit, Tom Lynch leading up at him, Cotchin let rip his biggest kick of his career.
All the years of hatred and sadness all gone in seconds as the ball soared through the Punt Road end.
Oh how glorious it was as Richmond went on to win their second flag in three years to a crowd of 100 000 AFL fans, right before we all congregated to Swan Street to celebrate as an army.
Fast forward to Thursday the 11th of June, 2020 and Richmond are playing Collingwood in the second round of the AFL season.
What was unknown to us at the time of our skippers goal was that their was going to be an unprecedented global pandemic, which would halt not only our footy season, back to back hopes, but for many, our lives.
The COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation as boarders were shut, games of footy cancelled, businesses closed and schools went online.
For many of us, Richmond winning another flag seemed completely irrelevant, not even 6 months after winning another flag was everything.
Despite the shutdown of the AFL industry, the AFL got it going again.
And how glorious it was!
Footy was back and while we sat in our homes doing everything we could to avoid this strange, silent killer, we watched from our screens as Cotchin, Dusty and Edwards took the field.
No longer would we meet at The Corner Hotel or the London to wet our whistles before charging as one into the G', taking our rightful seats behind 'Cotchy's goals and yelling our hearts out, acting as the 19th man.
This year was about home support.
But, we had so many positives.
Jack Higgins was back after life-threatening brain surgery!
Had his career of been over, no one would have minded - but there he was, back on the MCG kicking 'snags'.
Young gun Sydney Stack was gearing up for another big season, to prove to us he was more than a flash-in-the-pan and we could finally see the Jack-Lynch combo we were robbed of for so much of 2019 as we focused again on our back-to-back dreams.
And in the greater AFL, our season was on!
Young cubs Brisbane set out to show the AFL world they we no Melbourne, while Melbourne set out to show us they were not the Dee's of this century with new recruit, Harley Bennell debuting in emotional scenes.
St Kilda had a new coach and 5 big trade ins.
Port Adelaide were celebrating 150 years and Ken Hinkley didn't shy away from his ambitions as the Crows set out on their rebuild across the river.
Carlton and North both with new coaches came to play and let the faithful know they were back in business.
But as the year grew, Victoria became a scary place to be as a football club so the 9 Victorian sides packed their bags for what was to be 5 weeks of hub life, following in the footsteps of the Adelaide and Western Australian clubs on the sunny Gold Coast.
5 weeks quickly turned into a season as players adjusted to their new hotel lives, leaving behind pets and family while the AFL took the biggest stage to Queensland for the first time in VFL/AFL history.
Our own Bachar Houli and Shane Edwards staying in Melbourne for the births of their youngest.
Our enemies on Saturday night, the Geelong Football Club, had their fair share of movement too.
Star recruit Jack Stevens had a delayed start to his new home after a strange off field incident while the game's greatest star in Gary Ablett Jnr, having returned from his own stay on the Gold Coast in pursuit of one more Cat flag went home for his own personal reasons, before returning with 'Shedda'.
And yet, as the game went on and teams dropped off, only 8 were left.
Collingwood surprised the AFL world knocking off the Eagles over in the West, while the Saints took care of the Bulldogs in another Elimination Final.
Richmond lost to the Lions as they flexed their muscle for the first time in 12 years and Port showed they are serious with a win over Geelong.
A week later, Richmond showed why they are the reigning champs against the Saints and the Pies, having spent their tickets the week prior, gave no yelp to Geelong in Brisbane.
The Port Adelaide v Tigers Prelim was one for the ages as we slogged it out in the rain for a epic 6 point win and the Cats showed why they have been one of the best for 15 years with a breakthrough win against Brisbane.
The Richmond v Geelong Grand Final on paper shapes up to be a all time classic, however paper is rarely reality.
The Cats like to play a very slow, kick and mark game which will fall right into the hands of a hardened Richmond who swarm on slow play and pressure you into mistakes.
If Geelong play it slow and move handballs backwards to set up their switch, they will concede more goals than they kick.
They must move the ball low and fast with kicks if they are any chance.
Key match ups will be Balta v Hawkins, Nankervis v Stanley and Lynch v Henderson with the Dusty v Danger match up already making Channel 7 drool.
Can the new dynasty cement itself against the old timers?
With no key injuries or form coming into play, one would assume both sides go in unchanged from their Prelims.
My tip?
Richmond by 35+ as we gain early ascendency, much like last years Grand Final and take our back-to-back we so richly deserve and we can only pray for a COVID free 2021 and an assault on the 3peat.
Eat 'Em Alive!
I’m less then 25km from Swan Street 
