It might be Richmond's third Grand Final in four years, but coach Damien Hardwick has no doubts that a unique week lies ahead for the Tigers as the clubs aims to continue its remarkable recent spell of success at the Gabba next week.
Richmond will have the chance to compete for yet another premiership, having overcome a fierce test at the hands of Port Adelaide in the first preliminary final, claiming a gruelling battle by six points on Friday night.
But with the Grand Final relocated outside of Victoria for the first time in the game's history due to the ongoing implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, preparing and celebrating the special week that lies ahead is bound to be different for the Tigers.
"The boys were talking about having a motorcade around our facility," Hardwick laughed, joking about the annual Grand Final Parade.
"We're not too sure, to be honest. It's going to be a special week, but it's going to be different. There's no doubt.
"But I think overall, to get a season underway and to play under the circumstances we have, it's an incredible achievement and we'll enjoy every moment we've got. These sorts of moments don't come around very often, so we'll lap it up as best we can."
Richmond was forced to overcome a slow start to its season in order to return to the Grand Final this year, having won just one of its first four games following an interrupted opening to the campaign.
However, the reigning premiers have responded brilliantly since being forced to relocate to Queensland and the lifestyle of the AFL hubs.
The Tigers now boast a 12-3 record since leaving Victoria, with Hardwick saying the special bond of his players has been strengthened after being forced to relocate and live on the road.
"We really struggled when we were under the protocols in Melbourne because we were disconnected," Hardwick said.
"We came up here and all of a sudden we get our players together and we understand who we are again and what we do. It's worked really well for us.
"Don't get me wrong, it's been incredibly tough. But the fact of the matter is our guys have gelled really well up here and they've enjoyed it."
Richmond spearhead Tom Lynch was the villain of the night on Friday evening, receiving a fair dose of boos from the Port Adelaide faithful and drawing the attention of several Power players including Xavier Duursma.
The Port Adelaide youngster celebrated his first-quarter goal by making his way towards Lynch and remonstrating with the Richmond forward, though Hardwick said his star player enjoyed the booing and the theatrics of the occasion.
"It's all part of the theatre," Hardwick said.
"That's the reality. Tom's a big boy, he can handle it. He's a wonderful player, one of the better players in the competition, so it's water off a duck's back from Tom's point of view.
"He just plays the game and he plays it hard. I just love the way he goes about it. He's had a tough year. Some of those incidents have been harshly judged and he's been maligned a little bit for that, but he understands it, he accepts it and he gets on with it.
"Tom sort of feeds off that stuff. And I think, once again, that the theatre of it is great. The sides are going at each other and it's about how you respond.
"We sit there and we pick on the players for being a little bit open … Hamish Harlett made some comments, but they're all in good fun. It's a bit of theatre. It was no worry to us or to Tom, it just creates a more volatile environment. For us, it's all fair play."
