Now that the Tiger Army has been woken from its slumber, get ready for the onslaught.
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As Richmond readies for their first grand final since 1982 with excitement building across Melbourne and the club's inner-city suburban home, Friday's open training session – the final chance for fans to watch their heroes train – is bound to be a lockout.
The grand final players will take to the famous Punt Road Oval turf from 9.45am on Friday but the venue, which hosts VFL matches, can only cater for about 5000 spectators.
![Tiger fans have flocked to Richmond training during the finals. Photo: Wayne Ludbey
Tiger fans have flocked to Richmond training during the finals. Photo: Wayne Ludbey](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GJZ5TVpAk84wrTzsQfLQRB/e227fe50-8856-4d8d-ac67-42172720d7cb.jpg/r0_0_620_348_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
After the 30-minute session, the players will take part in the annual grand final parade – along with the Adelaide contingent – through Melbourne's streets as part of the grand final eve public holiday.
Richmond president Peggy O'Neal reminded the club's supporters that parking wasn't available at Punt Road and said they should check the club's website for other information.
"If there's a lockout, there's a lockout ... we have to give precedence to security [issues] and the safety of the people coming in and those sorts of things," O'Neal said.
One of the AFL's biggest supporter bases may have been dormant at this stage of September for the past 35 years, but they are set to be unleashed for the Tigers' first grand final since they lost to Carlton all those years ago.
"We knew it was always there," O'Neal said of the Tiger Army. "And you can see people are excited when something's happening for the first time in a very long time.
"But the Tiger Army we always knew would get behind us. And the suburb of Richmond is a very exciting place to be right now.
"I'm feeling great. No nerves, just excitement."