The seeds for Richmond’s first finals campaign since 2001 were sown in the opening three rounds this season . . .
Richmond won those three games – against Carlton, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs – becoming the first Tiger team do achieve the hat-trick at the start of a season since 1995.
Back in ’95, the Tigers kicked off their season with seven wins on-the-trot, and subsequently made it through to a preliminary final.
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Up until this year, Richmond had won three games or more in succession, at the start of a season, 13 times.
In all but two of those years, the Tigers had gone on to play finals.
It’s now 12 finals appearances from 14 hat-trick-plus season starts, with Richmond’s win against Brisbane at the MCG last Saturday guaranteeing September action in 2013.
Here is the list of the Tigers’ flying starts to a season . . .
1995: Seven wins in-a-row, finished third
1982: Four wins in-a-row, finished second
1973: Three wins in-a-row, finished first
1966: Three wins in-a-row, finished fifth (missed finals by two points)
1958: Three wins in-a-row, finished 10th
1944: Four wins in-a-row, finished second
1942: Five wins in-a-row, finished second
1941: Three wins in-a-row, finished fourth
1939: Six wins in-a-row, finished fourth
1934: Three wins in-a-row, finished first
1931: Five wins in-a-row, finished second
1920: Eight wins in-a-row, finished first
1919: Three wins in-a-row, finished second
