In a special series to run throughout this week at richmondfc.com.au, Tony Greenberg captures the anticipation and excitement leading into the Tigers’ 2019 season with an A-Z preview. We kick it off today with the letters A-F.

A is for A-graders

There is an abundance of A-grade talent at Tigerland. The Yellow and Black ‘Fab Four’ – Brownlow Medal pair Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin, five-time All Australian representative Alex Rance and triple Coleman Medallist Jack Riewoldt – are standouts, but you can reasonably throw the likes of Dylan Grimes, Shane Edwards, Nick Vlastuin, Kane Lambert, Dion Prestia, Josh Caddy and boom key forward recruit Tom Lynch into the A-grade category mix for good measure, with several young Tigers poised to press their claims to join them throughout season 2019.    

MEMBERSHIP The Hunt Continues in 2019; join as a member today

B is for Blockbusters

Richmond set a new AFL record for total crowd figures in 2018 on the back of a series of blockbuster matches – 90,151 in the season-opener against Carlton, 70,701 in Round 3 v Hawthorn, 77,071 in the Round 5 Anzac Eve clash with Melbourne, 72,157 in Round 6 v Collingwood, 81,046 in the Round 11 Dreamtime game against Essendon, 88,180 in the Round 19 return encounter with the Magpies, 67,054 in Round 20 v Geelong and 76,424 v the Bombers in Round 22. Expect similar attendance results in 2019 with the Tigers again pencilled in for MCG blockbusters against Carlton, Round 1; Collingwood, Round 2; Melbourne, Round 6, Anzac Eve; Hawthorn, Round 9; Essendon, Round 10, Dreamtime; Geelong, Round 12; Collingwood, Round 19 and Melbourne, Round 20.

BROWSE Find a 2019 membership package suited to you

C is for Culture

The culture that has developed within Richmond’s playing group during the past couple years has been a significant factor in the team’s success. There is a powerful connection between the players, who genuinely care for each other and have adopted such a selfless approach to their football at Tigerland.  They have seen the great benefits reaped from a totally committed, team-first attitude and will be extremely keen to ensure that this continues in season 2019.

FIXTURE View Richmond's 2019 AFL premiership season fixture

D is for Defence

Richmond is blessed with a top-class defensive unit that has all bases covered when it comes to curbing opposition forwards. There’s the elite intercept ability of Alex Rance and David Astbury, the dash and long kicking provided by Bachar Houli and Jayden Short, plus the versatility of Dylan Grimes and Nathan Broad, who have consistently proven their capacity to shut down both tall and small forward opponents. And waiting in the wings for more senior opportunity in 2019 is dependable, determined, young key defender Ryan Garthwaite, along with running back Oleg Markov.

PROFILES View Richmond's senior and rookie player profiles

E is for Expectation

Despite falling at the preliminary final hurdle in 2018, the Tigers have been installed as 2019 flag favourites by the sports bookies. Tom Lynch’s arrival at the Club is being touted as a strong reason by the bookies and football pundits why Richmond can regain the AFL ‘heavyweight title’ this year. Within Tigerland’s four walls, however, such talk is immaterial. The Tigers handled the weight of expectation extremely well as reigning premiers last season, despite ultimately just coming up short in their quest for back-to-back flags. Can’t see any reason why this year’s expectation would have any sort of adverse effect on them.

TRAINING Don't miss Saturday morning's open training session at Punt Road

F is for Fun

This has been a key component of Richmond’s changed culture over the past couple of years. AFL football is a serious business, but the Tigers’ players have successfully managed to dedicate themselves to the tough task at hand, as well as enjoy each other’s company and plenty of light-hearted, humour-filled moments along the way – even on game-day. Bringing fun into their football has clearly helped them become better adjusted to cope with the intense pressure and tough grind of the AFL competition.

SPONSORSHIP Sponsor your favourite Richmond player in 2019

Revisit richmondfc.com.au tomorrow as we look at letters G-K in our 2019 A-Z season preview.