The 1889 season was Richmond's fifth in the VFA competition and second only wearing the now famous yellow and black. The Richmond players had worn an all blue uniform with the only hint of their true identity in the yellow and black stripes on their caps...

Richmond seemed well on its way to establishing itself as one of the top clubs with a number of stirring performances in the 1888 season. Victories against the season's eventual premiers, South Melbourne, and a treasured win over Carlton, the previous year's premiers, bode well for the club's future

For that reason, the 1889 season proved to be a disappointing one for the club's growing supporter base. The committee, in all its wisdom, felt that the team would benefit by adopting a style of play that more resembled rugby. It proved a disaster and by the time that anything could be done to address the folly the season had all but slipped away. It brought about a shift in thinking at the club that would serve it well for decades to come. The club retained a majority of those players who had battled manfully throughout the season and made a greater emphasis on recruiting local talent from the surrounding district. The 1889 team represents the foundation of the Richmond club.