"That was heartbreaking and it's hard to ignore everyone calling us chokers and how we'll never win a Grand Final. But we were determined to prove them wrong and we all worked hard in 2011 to get back there again. To finally get over the line and prove everyone wrong is something I'll remember forever.

"We didn’t want to be one-hit wonders either. We wanted to prove that we could do it for a sustained period and won another one in 2012 and they were both definitely the highlights of my career. 

"We had another good year in 2013 but unfortunately couldn’t quite get to the Grand Final that year but from 2010-2013 was a period where we had a lot of wins and it was a lot of fun to play in."

After playing 130 games up until the end 2013 after starting in 2008, Richardson took a break to travel in 2014 and Claremont's fortunes suffered after those dominant four years and they haven't quite been back in the premiership race since.

But Richardson sees no reason why this current group can't make a run at success with Anton Hamp and Haydn Busher holding down the defence, Jye Bolton and Kane Mitchell leading the way through the middle and a dangerous forward-line that includes himself and Tom Lee.

He certainly feels the current coaching staff will give them every chance led by Darren Harris, who he rates as the best coach he's played under which is saying something considering that group includes Roger Kerr, Simon McPhee, Marc Webb and Michael Broadbridge.

"I'm really confident that this group is on the right track. The main thing is that the coaching staff is as awesome. Harro is easily the best coach I've played under in my career, he's just a really good bloke and people person, and motivator," Richardson said. 

"We've got great assistant coaches too with Craig White, Andrew Embley, Geoff Valentine, Kepler Bradley and Steve Armstrong. They really pull the boys into line and show them the way. The playing group is definitely starting to click. 

"We were underperforming at the start of the year, but we've done things to fix that up and we are starting to click. We are confident if we stay on this track we can get a lot more wins in the future.

"Our back-line is gelling awesome, the midfield is strong and we have a lot of goals to kick in the forward-line. I'm confident this team is on the right track for more success."

Richardson came through at Claremont at a time where he had some great players and leaders to learn from and while the time has gone quickly, he is now in that position to be the role model for the young players at Tigerland as captain and he feels he's grown with that responsibility.

"When we won the premierships I was 24 or 25 and starting to become a senior player and was getting involved in leadership meetings and stuff like that, but I still felt like one of the younger boys and wasn’t thinking too seriously about leadership," he said.

"But I had the year away and came back and after that, realised that I was one of the older boys and have been vice-captain the last three years, and captain this year. 

"I guess when I came back I realised I had to step up more now because we had a very young team looking to get back up the ladder. That's when I realised I had to show a bit more leadership around the place."

Anthony Jones and Jaxon Crabb, as Claremont captains, Sandover Medal winners and former AFL players, provided Richardson's first role models when he joined the senior group and they were two reasonable role models to have.

But especially in those first six years of his career, to learn from and develop under and alongside the likes of Michael Cousens, Clancy Rudeforth, Chad Jones, Trinity Handley, David Crawford, Luke Blackwell, Beau Maister, Tom Matson, Rory Walton, Andrew Browne, Byron Schammer and Paul Medhurst provided some grounding.

"The first two that stood out when I was coming through were Anthony Jones and Jaxon Crabb with the way they were so professional by training hard," Richardson said.

"You could see that on the weekend that resulted in them playing so well and they were Sandover Medallists who played AFL footy, both of them. They showed me how hard you need to work and going through the work I had other hard workers, Clancy Rudeforth was an especially hard worker.

"He was a real inspiration to me and one of my good mates. Luke Blackwell was another who trained to a high standard and so did Andrew Browne, and more recently Kane Mitchell is a freak with his fitness and work he puts in. Between all of them you pick up different things, but at the end of the day the common denominator is that hard work will get your results."

Richardson always hoped one day that he would be held in the regard that he put those Claremont greats in at some point of his career, but he knew that nothing but working hard, performing consistently and setting the standards over a long period was going to make that happen.

To now be captain in 2018 for the first time is something he's proud of and he takes seriously his responsibility to set the right example.

"You always want to gain the respect of your teammates and I wanted to become a respected player one day like those guys were that I looked up to," he said.

"That was the aim, but obviously you have to get there slowly and chip away at it. Over the years I've slowly built up a bit of respect and reputation hopefully, but that's something you have to earn from others and not just give to yourself.

"I'm very proud to have been voted in as captain by the other players. It means a lot to be highly-regarded by them and the coaches. 

"It wasn’t something I really aimed for because we had Jake Murphy the last couple of years doing a really good job, but unfortunately he's had a lot of injury issues and he's taken a backseat and now stepped away from the game this year. 

"Once I knew he was doing that, I took it upon myself to be the next leader in line and I felt I had to step up my leadership responsibilities. We worked hard on that over the pre-season and still are during the year."

"We've played a lot of footy together and he's such a passionate club man who loves the Tigers. He was sad to leave but he didn’t want it to be all about him, he just wanted the club to get a win and we all put in that extra one per cent to get it. 

"It worked out really well and we got over Swans in the last quarter and he kicked the goal that sealed it in the finish."

Richardson is also glad that he took the chance for a break from the WAFL in 2014 to explore the world and reignite his passion to return to Claremont for the second half of his career, which he sees no reason why can't continue into 2019 and beyond at 30 years of age.

"I could have kept on going but it's hard in the WAFL working full-time, a lot of players are studying too and then coming to training. It does take a toll in terms of your family life and social life, it doesn't leave time for much else," Richardson said. 

"I felt like I just needed a break and was keen to do a bit of travelling and see the world, and got that ticked off and out of my system. I came back refreshed and keen to have another crack at it. 

"I'm happy I did and hopefully it extended my career a bit longer too by having that break. I feel like I'm still playing good footy and at the end of the year I'll see how the body is feeling, have a chat to my family and partner but I'm feeling good at the moment."