2020 Chronology

January
Thursday 9
Damien Hardwick is appointed coach of Victoria against the All Stars, in a match to raise funds for the Community Relief Fund to rebuild football facilities destroyed by the 2019 bushfires.

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February
Monday 17
Dustin Martin is the first player selected for the upcoming Big V vs All-Stars match raising money for bushfire relief.

Tuesday 18
Trent Cotchin, Bachar Houli, Tom Lynch, are added to the Big V team.
Shane Edwards and Jack Riewoldt are added to the All-Stars team

Friday 28
Vic vs All Stars at Docklands.
Cotchin, Houli, Lynch, Martin play for Victoria.
Edwards and Riewoldt play for the All-Stars.
Damien Hardwick coaches the Victoria

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March
Sunday 1
PRE SEASON
Collingwood 13.6.84 def Richmond 6.8.44 at Wangaratta.
Dylan Grimes captains.
Team: Balta, Grimes, Astbury, Stack, Vlastuin, Short, Caddy, Prestia, Baker, D Rioli, Lambert, Castagna, Chol, Coleman-Jones, Bolton, Soldo, Ross, Pickett, P Naish, Higgins, Collier-Dawkins, Thomas Dow, O Markov, Broad, Aarts, Garthwaite.

Sunday 8
PRE SEASON
GWS 17.7.109 def Richmond 14.11.95 at Wagga Wagga
Trent Cotchin captain
Lynch 4, Martin 2, Rioli 2, Castagna 2, Soldo 1, Caddy 1, Lambert 1, Coleman-Jones 1
Black arm bands worn.
Team: N Broad, D Grimes, D Astbury, B Houli, N Vlastuin, S Stack, J Caddy, D Prestia, L Baker, D Rioli, S Edwards, S Bolton, T Lynch, D Martin, J Riewoldt, I Soldo, T Cotchin, M Pickett, J Castagna, C Coleman-Jones, T Dow, K Lambert, B Nyuon, J Short.

Tuesday 10
Rhett Bartlett is appointed Richmond Club Historian. He is only the second appointee to that role in the club's history. He replaces Bill Meaklim whose stewardship as historian spanned 1986 - March 2020.

Thursday 12
With the Coronavirus affecting the Melbourne population, the Richmond Football Club closes its headquarters to all external visitors. There are no longer any open training sessions. The club's membership department and merchandise store remain open. Staff at the club are urged to work from home.

Friday 13
Trent Cotchin is reappointed captain of the club. Jack Riewoldt is appointed vice captain.
Richmond's VFL scratch match against Coburg at Punt Road is cancelled due to coronavirus fears.
The AFL announce that the AFLW match vs StKilda on Saturday 14th March will be closed to the public.
They also announce that the Round 1 AFL match against Carlton will be closed to the public.

Monday 16
The AFL announced that following a meeting with AFL State CEOs a collective decision has been made to postpone the operation and / or the commencement of each premier State League and national and state talent program across the country, until May 31. The AFL premiership season and AFLW season is excluded.

The AFL announced that the Men's premiership season will now be 17 Rounds, every team will play each other once.

Tuesday 17
Richmond has announced AFLW Captain Katie Brennan will miss remainder of the season with symptoms of concussion

Thursday 19
ROUND 1
"THE EMPTY ARENA "
Richmond vs Carlton, at MCG, crowd zero.
Quarters are 16mins plus time-on.
The first League match played in front of zero crowd (due to the coronavirus).
Shane Edwards kicks the first goal of the game.
There is no banners for the team to run through, though the do run out to their club theme-song.
Pre-match interviews by coaches and players are conducted several metres apart from the media, due to social distancing.
Black armbands are worn for the passing of Paddy Guinane (Dec 9, 2019) and Brian Weightman (father of Dale).
Richmond's 13th consecutive win is a League record surpassing Rd 11 1932 to Rd 2 1933. They are two victories away from the all-time club record in 1903 of 15 consecutive wins.

Sunday 22
In an unprecedented move, the AFL postpone the 2020 season until at least May 31st, due to the coronavirus.
For Richmond, that affects their March 26 (Thurs) vs Coll at MCG, April 5 (Sun) vs StKilda at Docklands, April 11 (Sat) vs Adelaide at MCG

June
Wednesday 10
A scratch match (16 a side) is held at night at the MCG between Richmond and Collingwood players not selected in the Round 2 match the following day. It is closed to the public and media.
Richmond team is Ryan Garthwaite, Bigoa Nyuon, Noah Balta, Ben Miller, Jack Ross, Derek Eggmolesse-Smith, Fraser Turner, Toby Nankervis, Riley Collier-Dawkins, Thomson Dow, Luke English, Patrick Naish, Hugo Ralphsmith, Jake Aarts, Callum Coleman-Jones, Mabior Chol, Oleg Markov.

Thursday 11
The football season re-starts after the COVID-19 epidemic.
"THE COVID DRAW"
ROUND 2
Richmond 5.6.36 drew Collingwood 5.6.36 at MCG.
As the game is again closed to the spectators, Richmond put large banners behind the goal-square depicting catchphrases and players. Fake crowd noise is used by the broadcasters, as well as digital banners hanging up around the seating
Players wear black t-shirts in warm-up as a gesture of "support, unity, and respect, driven by the playing group. We stand in solidarity with our Indigenous brothers and sisters and all people of colour. There is no place for racism.," Both teams also knelt for 30 seconds in the centre before the game begun
Jack Higgins returns after recovering from brain surgery in the middle of 2019.
Richmond's 14th consecutive match without a loss (Win + Draw only).
First draw between the two teams since 1917.

Thursday 18
A scratch match (14 a side) is played for those not selected in the Round 3 match.
It is against Hawthorn at Punt Road.
Richmond team is: Ryan Garthwaite, Noah Balta, Thomson Dow, Ben Miller, Derek Eggmolesse-Smith, Kamdyn McIntosh, Toby Nankervis, Riley Collier-Dawkins, Luke English, Patrick Naish, Hugo Ralphsmith, Jake Aarts, Callum Coleman-Jones, Mabior Chol,

ROUND 3
"The Streak Is Over"
Richmond 5.9.39 lost to Hawthorn 11.5.71
Richmond's winning streak (incl draw) of 14 games ends.
15 - Rd 3 1903 to Rd 17 1903
14 - Rd 12 1905 to Rd 4 1906
14 - Rd 15 2019 to Rd 2 2020
12 - Rd 11 1932 to Rd 2 1933
12 - Rd 3 1980 to Rd 14 1980
11 - Rd 6 1907 to Rd 16 1907

Saturday 27
ROUND 4
Richmond 10.7.67 lost to StKilda 15.3.93

A scratch match (16 a side) is played for those not selected in the Round 4 match.
It is against StKilda at Punt Road. Richmond win by 90pts
Richmond team is: Patrick Naish, Daniel Rioli, Ivan Soldo, Mabior Chol, Riley Collier-Dawkins, Ryan Garthwaite, Derek Eggmolesse-Smith, Oleg Markov, Jack Graham, Jack Aarts, Callum Coleman-Jones, Marlion Pickett, Ben Miller, Fraser Turner, Luke English, Hugo Ralphsmith, Luke English
Goals: Naish 3, Rioli 2, Soldo 2, Collier-Dawkins 1, Aarts 2,

Sunday 5
ROUND 5
Richmond 12.7.79 def Melbourne 8.4.52

Sunday 12
ROUND 6
"The Lowest Winning Score"
Richmond 4.10.34 def Sydney 3.8.26.
It is Richmond's equal lowest winning score in VFL/AFL history (= vs Fitz 1908). It is our lowest winning score since VFA May 12, 1906 when we kicked 3.10.28 vs Footscray at Footscray.

18 July
ROUND 7
Richmond 11.11.77 def North 2.11.23

24 July
"In Memory of Shane Tuck"
ROUND 8

Original 2020 Fixture / and what match was played instead
Rd 1 v Carl (March 19) / no change
Rd 2 v Coll (March 26) /. v Coll (June 11)
Rd 3 v StK (April 5) / v Haw (June 18)
Rd 4 v Adel (April 11 / v StK (June 27)
Rd 5 v West Coast (April 17) / v Melb (July 5)
Rd 6 v Melbourne (April 24) / v Syd (July 12)
Rd 7 v GWS (May 2) / v Nth Melb (July 18)
Rd 8 v Brisbane (May 8) /
Rd 9 v Geelong (May 15) /
Rd 10 v Ess (May 23) /
Rd 11 v Syd (May 30) /
Rd 12 v Nth (June 7)

September
Friday 4
Sydney Stack and Callum Coleman-Jones are suspended for 10 games, starting from Rd 17 into the 2021 season. They are also sent home from the Queensland Hub immediately. The club is fined $100,000 (which includes $25,000 suspended sentence from Richmond previous club breach)

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October
Friday 2
Brisbane 10.9.69 defeat Richmond 8.6.54 at the GABBA.
Black arm bands worn by Richmond player in recognition of Richard Doggett's passing (1980 Premiership General Manager)

Friday 9
2nd Semi Final.
Richmond v St Kilda at Carrara
Trent Cotchin surpasses Percy Bentley for most games as captain.

Friday 16
Preliminary Final
Richmond defeat Port Adelaide.
Trent Cotchin's 250th game.

Saturday Night 24
Grand Final
Richmond 12.9.81 def Geelong 7.8.50
Richmond win their 15th Senior premiership since 1885.
Trent Cotchin becomes the first Richmond captain of 3 premiership.
Peggy O'Neal becomes the first Richmond President of 3 premierships
Brendon Gale joins Alan Schwab as a 3x Premiership CEO/Secretary
Noah Balta was the only player in the Tiger side who hadn't won a premiership.