Yet the death of one of the game's great icons this week still reverberated strongly through Sydney's west ahead of Saturday's clash between GWS Giants and the Magpies at Spotless Stadium.

Two of the Giants were responsible for delivering one of Richards' greatest moments in his latter years – the drought-breaking 2010 Collingwood premiership.

Nick Maxwell, the man who led the Magpies to just their third flag in 52 years, is now employed by GWS as a runner and leadership mentor.

Then there's veteran Giants defender Heath Shaw, the man who's smother of Nick Riewoldt in the opening term of the 2010 grand final replay against St Kilda set the tone for his team that afternoon and burned itself forever into highlights reels across the country.

Richards will be honoured across the land throughout round eight this weekend. Collingwood and GWS players will wear black arm bands on Saturday afternoon, while a touching video tribute will be played on the big screen before the bounce.

The Giants' first priority will be landing a first ever win over the Magpies – one of only two teams left in the AFL that are yet to taste defeat to the league's newest club.

But for Maxwell and Shaw in particular, Saturday's game is the perfect opportunity to honour the figurehead of their former club.

"The thing about Lou was when he'd come into a room, you couldn't help but be drawn to him, he was larger than life," Maxwell recalled.

"I remember the first time that I saw him at Vic Park, he came down to a training session. He came in and it wasn't like everyone just went about their business, everyone's attention went to Lou entering the room.

"You waited your turn before you could go over and say hello and introduce yourself. It was sort of a strange situation because it was only upon reflection that you realise, gee that was pretty special. It was almost an out-of-body experience, you were going across to have a conversation with someone you'd never met but you thought you had.

"That was probably a thing for a lot of people. Those that met him didn't know him but everyone felt like they did know him.

"What you see is what you get, you saw it on TV and you saw what he was all about in the media and I think that people just felt like you almost know him personally. That's what he was like."

One of Richards' last TV appearances came following the 2010 premiership. He was wheeled into a room full of passionate Magpies and given the chance to properly savour the cup for the first time in 20 years.

It was also an opportunity for the club's last four premiership captains to come together for a photo – Maxwell, Heath's uncle Tony (1990), Murray Weideman (1958) and Richards (1953).

"That was great, there was such a long time between them, 57 years between the four premierships," Maxwell said.

"It was a great experience just to be able to chat to him. I still see Shawy a lot and Murray a fair bit at functions, he's up and flying and going well.

"To have Lou there as well was great. Although he wasn't as well as he had been, he was still in good spirits and was still cracking a joke here and there.

"For anyone associated with the club, the 1990 and the 2010 premierships meant so much because of the times that we had where we weren't fortunate enough to get over the line. [That] 2010 [premiership] was now the last one that Louy got to see."

The Giants are desperate to get back in the winner's circle after last weekend's disappointment against St Kilda, during which co-captain Phil Davis pushed teammate Rory Lobb in frustration.

Maxwell said the incident simply highlighted the passion coursing through the Giants this season.

"There was a bit made of some of the body language of the boys and some of the ways they spoke to each other last Friday night," Maxwell said.

"If that was a Luke Hodge in a win, people go that's great leadership. It's great that our boys care that much about us winning and us performing the way that we expect to perform and the expectation we're putting on each other."