Griffith ruck Nathan Richards is keen to help end the club's 20-year premiership drought

The talented big man was there in 2019 when the Swans gave up a half-time lead before going down to Wagga Tigers in the Riverina League decider.

Four years later, Richards will back on grand final day and is hoping to play a leading role in Griffith's first senior premiership since 2003.

"Yeah it's 20 years this year. It would be unreal, just thinking about it now, it would be huge," Richards said.

"We've had our chances in previous years, we had two in a row (2018-19) that we probably backed ourselves to win it and this year, with this side, still full of locals, a lot of young juniors that we can continue to build on, it would be huge.

"Words are hard to describe what it would actually feel like to bring one back to the club."

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Richards was just 20 and in his first season back at the club in 2019. While it was four years ago, the lessons learnt that day remain strong in his memory.

"I think what we learnt, and me especially, from the last grand final was the game's not over until it's over," he said.

"I think last time we were up a couple of goals and after that the ball didn't bounce our way, they got a bit of a run on and we couldn't finish so it's really just quarter by quarter, contest by contest, don't take anything for granted this week."

Richards, a Griffith junior, has been with the club since that day. He was forced to take on a senior role sooner than most as the club went about a quick re-build.

"Pretty well once that was finished and we lost that grand final, we blooded a heap of kids through and they've come on leaps and bounds over the last two or three years," he said.

"This year's team is different. In 2019, I was a young guy, I was young but I was 20. And I'm only 24 now and I'd be in the top five or six older guys in the team we're such a young team.

"These kids that started playing at 16 are now getting onto their 50th senior game as 18, 19-year-olds and while they're young, they've played in a lot of junior grand finals and the patch that has come through, they've won them just about every single year so they know how to win them.

"Junior and senior footy is completely different but they're in it to win it and they all know what it takes.

"We're a real good group, everyone is really excited and we've really had to earn it this year, it's been a real good comp and it's crazy how things can swing.

"We had three or four losses in a row and then to come and beat Tigers last round and really build some momentum coming into finals and knock over Ganmain and Turvey and go straight in was huge for our confidence."

Richards has enjoyed a strong year in the ruck for the Swans and has been a pivotal part of their run to a grand final.

He's happy with his efforts yet but not satisfied just yet.

"I had a pretty slow pre-season because I sliced my hand open at the end of last year so I didn't really get to get into full pre-season training until February,." he explained.

"I knew we were going to have a really good group, I just could tell we were going to be better than the previous year. There was a few handy additions, getting the Canberra guys, getting Delvesy back, everyone knew that if we really put a shift in this year and worked hard, we were going to be thereabouts.

"Me, myself, I just knew there was a lot of good blokes around me if I could do the work and get the ball where they wanted it to, where they needed it, we could go a long way so yeah, I'm really happy but the job's not done."

He will go up against Sydney-based former VFL ruck Antony Forato from Turvey Park in Saturday's decider at Narrandera Sportsground. He knows the importance of that battle.

"It's really going to be a battle in there, it always is against big Forato," he said.

"He's a very good ruckman and their midfield is also extremely handy so we just know going in as a midfield group that if we can win it out of there, that it's going to go a long way towards helping us secure the win."

The Griffith group watched Sunday's preliminary final together and were impressed by the Bulldogs' efforts coming from 39 points down to win.

"We had all of us together at one of the guys' shed and we were watching it on the live stream. Three quarters of the game we were pretty sure we were playing Ganmain but it's funny how things work," he said.

"For them to come out and kick five or six straight in the last quarter was massive for them resilience wise. That's the sort of thing we know that they're capable of."

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