# 2021 Richmond Football Club season

The 2021 season was the 114th season in which the Richmond Football Club has participated in the VFL/AFL and the second season in which it participated in the AFL Women's competition.

## AFL
### 2020 off-season list changes
#### Retirements and delistings

| Player | Reason | Club games | Career games |
| Derek Eggmolesse-Smith | Delisted | 8 | 8 |
| Luke English | Delisted | 0 | 0 |
| Fraser Turner | Delisted | 0 | 0 |

#### Trades

| Date | Gained | Lost | Trade partner |
| 4 November | 2021 third-round pick | Oleg Markov | Gold Coast |
| 12 November | Pick 17 | Jack Higgins | St Kilda |
| 12 November | 2021 second-round pick | Pick 21 | St Kilda |
| 12 November | 2021 second-round pick | 2021 fourth-round pick | St Kilda |
| 9 December | 2021 first-round pick | Pick 20 | Geelong |

#### National draft

| Round | Overall pick | Player | State | Position | Team from | League from | Ref |
| 2 | 40 | Samson Ryan | QLD | Ruck | Western Magpies | QAFL | |
| 3 | 51 | Maurice Rioli Jr. | NT | Small forward | Oakleigh Chargers | NAB League Boys | |

#### Rookie draft

| Round | Overall pick | Player | State | Position | Team from | League from | Ref |
| – | – | Mate Colina$^{(B)}$ | VIC | Ruck | 3-year non-registered player | 3-year non-registered player | |

### Pre-season supplemental selection period

| Date | Player | Team from | League from | Ref |
| 18 February 2021 | Rhyan Mansell | Woodville West Torrens | SANFL | |
| 9 March 2021 | Derek Eggmolesse-Smith | Richmond | AFL | |

### Mid-season draft

| Pick | Player | Position | Team from | League from | Ref |
| 10 | Matthew Parker | Midfielder/Forward | South Fremantle | WAFL | |

### 2021 season
#### Pre-season community series

| Date | Score | Opponent | Opponent's score | Result | Home/away | Venue | Attendance |
| Friday 5 March, 7:10pm | 11.14 (80) | Collingwood | 11.8 (74) | Won by 6 points | Home | Marvel Stadium | 10,308 |

#### Home and away season

| Round | Date | Score | Opponent | Opponent's score | Result | Home/away | Venue | Attendance | Ladder |
| 1 | Thursday 18 March, 7:25pm | 15.15 (105) | Carlton | 11.14 (80) | Won by 25 points | Home | MCG | 49,218 | 5th |
| 2 | Sunday 28 March, 1:10pm | 11.12 (78) | Hawthorn | 7.7 (49) | Won by 29 points | Away | MCG | 41,051 | 2nd |
| 3 | Saturday 3 April, 1:45pm | 10.12 (72) | Sydney | 17.15 (117) | Lost by 45 points | Home | MCG | 43,637 | 6th |
| 4 | Friday 9 April, 7:20pm | 11.11 (77) | Port Adelaide | 11.13 (79) | Lost by 2 points | Away | Adelaide Oval | 33,742 | 8th |
| 5 | Thursday 15 April 7:20pm | 20.14 (134) | St Kilda | 7.6 (48) | Won by 86 points | Away | Marvel Stadium | 32,056 | 5th |
| 6 | Saturday 24 April, 7:25pm | 6.12 (48) | Melbourne | 12.10 (82) | Lost by 34 points | Away | MCG | 56,418 | 7th |
| 7 | Friday 30 April, 7:50pm | 11.11 (77) | Western Bulldogs | 7.13 (55) | Won by 22 points | Home | MCG | 52,402 | 6th |
| 8 | Friday 7 May, 7:50pm | 9.9 (63) | Geelong | 19.12 (126) | Lost by 63 points | Home | MCG | 54,857 | 8th |
| 9 | Saturday 15 May, 7:25pm | 13.9 (87) | Greater Western Sydney | 12.11 (83) | Won by 4 points | Home | Docklands Stadium | 18,798 | 8th |
| 10 | Friday 21 May, 7:50pm | 11.8 (74) | Brisbane Lions | 15.12 (102) | Lost by 28 points | Away | The Gabba | 31,127 | 9th |
| 11 | Sunday 30 May, 2:10pm | 17.8 (111) | Adelaide | 12.11 (87) | Won by 24 points | Home/Neutral | Giants Stadium | 4,236 | 8th |
| 12 | Saturday 5 June, 7:25pm | 19.9 (123) | Essendon | 12.12 (84) | Won by 39 points | Away/Neutral | Optus Stadium | 56,656 | 8th |
| 13 | Sunday 13 June, 5:20pm | 12.9 (81) | West Coast | 13.7 (85) | Lost by 4 points | Away | Optus Stadium | 50,834 | 8th |
| 14 | BYE | BYE | BYE | BYE | BYE | BYE | BYE | BYE | 8th |
| 15 | Friday 25 June, 7:50pm | 2.10 (22) | St Kilda | 9.8 (62) | Lost by 40 points | Home | MCG | 14,787 | 8th |
| 16 | Thursday 1 July, 7:20pm | 10.7 (67) | Gold Coast | 10.17 (77) | Lost by 10 points | Away/Neutral | Marvel Stadium | 9,327 | 9th |
| 17 | Sunday 11 July, 4:10pm | 11.5 (71) | Collingwood | 13.9 (87) | Lost by 16 points | Home | MCG | 29,437 | 12th |
| 18 | Friday 16 July, 8:05pm | 16.10 (106) | Brisbane Lions | 13.8 (86) | Won by 20 points | Home/Neutral | Metricon Stadium | 4,119 | 9th |
| 19 | Sunday 25 July, 3:20pm | 8.9 (57) | Geelong | 15.5 (95) | Lost by 38 points | Away | MCG | 0 | 10th |
| 20 | Sunday 1 August, 6:10pm | 6.15 (51) | Fremantle | 7.13 (55) | Lost by 4 points | Away | Optus Stadium | 24,979 | 11th |
| 21 | Saturday 7 August, 4:35pm | 13.11 (89) | North Melbourne | 8.8 (56) | Won by 43 points | Home | MCG | 0 | 10th |
| 22 | Friday 13 August, 7:50pm | 10.7 (67) | Greater Western Sydney | 16.10 (106) | Lost by 39 points | Away/Neutral | Marvel Stadium | 0 | 11th |
| 23 | Saturday 21 August, 1:35pm | 12.11 (83) | Hawthorn | 12.11 (83) | Draw | Home | MCG | 0 | 12th |

### Awards
#### League awards
##### 22 Under 22 team

| | Player | Position | Appearance |
| Nominated | Shai Bolton | – | – |

#### Club awards
##### Jack Dyer Medal

| Position | Player | Votes | Medal |
| 1st | Dylan Grimes | 51 | Jack Dyer Medal |
| 2nd | Jack Graham | 46 | Jack Titus Medal |
| 2nd | Liam Baker | 46 | Jack Titus Medal |
| 4th | Shai Bolton | 45 | Fred Swift Medal |
| 5th | Dustin Martin | 40 | Kevin Bartlett Medal |
| 5th | Jack Riewoldt | 40 | Kevin Bartlett Medal |
| 7th | Jayden Short | 39 | |
| 8th | Tom Lynch | 38 | |
| 9th | Kane Lambert | 35 | |
| 10th | Trent Cotchin | 33 | |
| 10th | Nathan Broad | 33 | |
| Source: ||||

##### Michael Roach Medal

| Position | Player | Goals |
| 1st | Jack Riewoldt | 51 |
| 2nd | Tom Lynch | 35 |
| 3rd | Shai Bolton | 23 |
| 4th | Dustin Martin | 19 |
| 5th | Jake Aarts | 18 |
| Source: |||

## AFL Women's
### 2020 off-season list changes
#### Special assistance

After poor on-field performances in 2020, the AFL decided to award special assistance to Richmond in the form of an end-of-first round draft (originally number 15 overall) selection which the club was required to on-trade to another club in exchange for an established player. The pick was eventually traded to acquire Carlton midfielder Sarah Hosking.

#### Retirements and delistings

| Player | Reason | Club games | Career games |
| Laura Bailey | Retired | 5 | 13 |
| Lauren Tesoriero | Retired | 4 | 15 |
| Ella Wood | Retired | 3 | 3 |
| Nekaela Butler | Delisted | 0 | 0 |
| Ciara Fitzgerald | Delisted | 0 | 0 |
| Emma Horne | Delisted | 0 | 0 |

#### Trades

| Date | Gained | Lost | Trade partner |
| 3 August | Sarah Hosking | Pick 15 | Carlton |
| 3 August | Pick 43 | Grace Campbell | North Melbourne |
| 4 August | Harriet Cordner | Pick 17 | Melbourne |
| 4 August | Sarah D'Arcy | Pick 31 | Collingwood |
| 4 August | Sarah Dargan | Pick 45 | Collingwood |

#### National draft

| Round | Overall pick | Player | Position | Team from | League from |
| 1 | 1 | Ellie McKenzie | Midfielder / wing | Northern Knights | NAB League |
| 3 | 43 | Tessa Lavey | – | – | – |
| 5 | 52 | Luka Lesosky-Hay | Midfielder | Geelong Falcons | NAB League |

### 2021 season
#### Home and away season

| Round | Date | Score | Opponent | Opponent's score | Result | Home/away | Venue | Attendance | Ladder (of 14) |
| 1 | Sunday 31 January, 2:10pm | 1.6 (12) | Brisbane | 5.11 (41) | Lost by 29 points | Home | Swinburne Centre | 988 | 13th |
| 2 | Saturday 6 February, 5:10pm | 2.4 (16) | Melbourne | 7.2 (44) | Lost by 28 points | Away | Casey Fields | 2,581 | 12th |
| 3 | Sunday 14 February, 3:10pm | 4.7 (31) | Collingwood | 7.6 (48) | Lost by 17 points | Home | Swinburne Centre | 0 | 11th |
| 4 | Saturday 20 February, 3:10pm | 7.4 (46) | Carlton | 8.3 (51) | Lost by 5 points | Away | Ikon Park | 2,212 | 11th |
| 5 | Friday 26 February, 7:10pm | 9.6 (60) | Geelong | 2.1 (13) | Won by 47 points | Away | GMHBA Stadium | 1,829 | 11th |
| 6 | Friday 5 March, 5:10pm | 5.2 (32) | North Melbourne | 10.7 (67) | Lost by 35 points | Home | Swinburn Centre | 803 | 11th |
| 7 | Friday 12 March, 6:40pm | 6.5 (41) | Gold Coast | 4.2 (26) | Won by 15 points | Away | Metricon Stadium | 907 | 10th |
| 8 | Sunday 21 March, 12:40pm | 5.12 (42) | West Coast | 5.4 (34) | Won by 8 points | Home | Swinburne Centre | 619 | 10th |
| 9 | Friday 26 March, 5:10pm | 5.2 (32) | Western Bulldogs | 7.3 (45) | Lost by 13 points | Away | VU Whitten Oval | 1,985 | 10th |

### Awards
#### League awards
##### AFLW Players' Association Best First-Year Player

* Player
* Ellie McKenzie
* Source:

##### All-Australian team

| | Player | Position | Appearance |
| Named | Katie Brennan | Centre half-forward | 1st |
| Named | Monique Conti | Wing | 2nd |
| Nominated | Harriet Cordner | - | - |
| Nominated | Ellie McKenzie | - | - |
| Source: ||||

##### 22 Under 22 team

| | Player | Position | Appearance |
| Named | Monique Conti | Wing | 2nd |
| Named | Ellie McKenzie | Ruck rover | 1st |
| Source: ||||

#### Club awards
##### Best and Fairest award

| Position | Player | Votes |
| 1st | Monique Conti | 16 |
| 2nd | Katie Brennan | 15 |
| 2nd | Ellie McKenzie | 15 |
| 4th | Harriet Cordner | 14 |
| 5th | Rebecca Miller | 13 |
| 6th | Gabby Seymour | 12 |
| 7th | Sarah Hosking | 10 |
| 7th | Sarah D'Arcy | 10 |
| 9th | Maddy Brancatisano | 7 |
| 10th | Courtney Wakefield | 6 |
| 10th | Tayla Stahl | 6 |
| 10th | Iilish Ross | 6 |
| Source: |||

##### Leading goalkicker award

| Position | Player | Goals |
| 1st | Katie Brennan | 14 |
| 2nd | Courtney Wakefield | 10 |
| 3rd | Tayla Stahl | 7 |
| 4th | Christina Bernardi | 4 |
| 4th | Ellie McKenzie | 4 |
| Source: |||

## Victorian Football League (men's reserves)

The 2021 season will mark the seventh year the Richmond Football Club run a stand-alone reserves team in the Victorian Football League/Eastern Australian league. Richmond senior and rookie-listed players who are not selected to play in the AFL side will be eligible to play for the team alongside a small squad of VFL/EAFL-only listed players.
The team finished the home and away season with four wins, one draw and five losses. AFL listed midfielder Will Martyn won the team's best and fairest award and Samson Ryan won the club's goal kicking award with 17 goals from nine matches.

### Playing squad
## VFLW (women's reserves)

After running a stand-alone VFLW team since 2018, Richmond elected not to renew the club's license to participate in the 2021 season. Instead, Richmond players represented Port Melbourne under an alignment model. The season ran concurrently with part of the AFLW season for the first time, meaning unselected AFLW players took part in VFLW football as a reserves-grade competition. After the end of the AFLW season, players from the senior side also took part in matches for the club, including into the final series.
Port Melbourne finished the 14-game season with 10 wins and four losses, placing third on the ladder. The club was eliminated in the first round of the finals, following a 3.5 (23) to 7.15 (57) elimination final loss to the Southern Saints at ETU Stadium.