RICHMOND forward Ben Griffiths is training for a new role up the ground in 2015 as he looks to build on the most encouraging period of his short career.
Griffiths, who impressed in the final six games of the Tigers' season last year, has taken momentum into this pre-season, stripping weight and building his engine.
The 23-year-old was a regular inside-50 target last year, leading Richmond for contested marks, but he managed just 12 goals in 16 games.
He is preparing for a changed role in 2015, which could allow him to utilise his aerial strengths more often.
"This season I'm going to be playing a bit higher up the ground, so I just need to increase my aerobic capacity," Griffiths told the club's website.
"I feel like I'm moving a lot better than I was last year. I've lost a bit of weight so my mobility is a bit higher.
"I was playing at 104kg last year, which I needed, but I think the way the game's going and the role that I'm playing, I needed to lose a bit and run a bit better."
Griffith's improved mobility will also help him in the ruck, where he was regularly used as a back-up option last season.
As a tall forward, he will again be in competition with Tyrone Vickery, whose four-game suspension opened the door for Griffith's return to the team in round 19 last year.
"Although we're fighting for the spot we're helping each other to get better," Griffiths said.
"We all want the club to succeed and the best way of doing that is for us to get better … the competition for talls especially is really good."
Roughly half of Richmond's list, including Griffiths and Vickery, took part in the final time trial of their pre-season at Princes Park on Wednesday.
Griffiths said it was a relief to get the 3km test out of the way and move into more match-based training.
"We've all got a bit of a taste for it … we've started some 13-on-13 [games] in the last couple of weeks and that's been really good," he said.
"Now we can get stuck into the football phase and start playing some intra-club games."
