As opposed to one GF and a handful of finals wins in over 35? Richmond has been a contender for about two years now. They've been the team to beat for one year and failed to cope with the pressure.
The current Tigers outfit has a fair bit to do to show that they'll ultimately have a better legacy than any of the other sides that have managed a single flag in the past decade and managed to stay in contention for several more seasons (Collingwood, Sydney, West Coast...I'll give you the Bulldogs at this stage). Let's see if Richmond manages any more flags in the next 3-5 years, or even if they remain in contention for that period before we get too carried away about where they sit in the pantheon.
It might just be a byproduct of living in Victoria, but the deference that Richmond seems to get in the media seems way out of proportion to, say, the reigning premier.