Mick Malthouse is worried about Richmond's barren AFL finals record under Damien Hardwick and suspects it would nag at their coach.
The Tigers have rallied superbly this year to reach the top four for the first time under Hardwick, after missing last season's top eight.
There is a growing mood of excitement at Punt Rd, especially given last week's re-signing of Dustin Martin.
But the Tigers also lost three-straight elimination finals before last year and have not won a game in September since 2001.
Malthouse, a three-time premiership coach and a player in Richmond's last premiership team 37 years ago, said the lack of a finals win cannot be ignored.
"It's a good question, because the easy answer is just to dismiss it and go 'it's no worries'," he said.
"But I think it does hang over you.
"It will hang over Damien for a while, because he's had the side in the finals and they haven't won a finals match.
"He won't lose sleep over it, he won't be thinking of it as they're running down the race, but I guess there's a little nagging thing there."
But Malthouse said there would be only one relief for the Tigers - and that will not come by beating Geelong in Friday's qualifying final.
"It would be handy to win one ... (but) there's no relief winning a final, it's a relief when you win a premiership," he said.
Malthouse, who will present the Jock McHale medal to the premiership coach, admits to a soft spot for the Tigers ahead of the finals.
"Any club where you've bled and (had) broken bones and probably broken bones, you have a soft spot," he said.
"Every club I've been to - and I know I've been to a lot of them - they've had a special place.
"But when you see a club like that, who have come from where they did last year, and the way they've played their footy this year, and they find themselves in the top four ... it's fantastic for the Tigers.
Malthouse would love to no longer be a member of Richmond's "most recent" premiership team.
"I don't go home and polish it every day (his player's premiership medal), I will give you the tip - I don't even know where it is," he said.
"It doesn't matter who wins, but if the Tigers win, it will be fantastic."
