RICHMOND players are intent on ensuring the Tigers roar into next season with the same sort of form that saw them earn a surprise finals berth in 2014.
The Tigers' remarkable 2014 has been well documented, with injuries to key players and inconsistent form across the team crippling them early on.
They won just three games to round 14 and slumped to 16th on the ladder, with just the Brisbane Lions and St Kilda beneath them.
But the return of Brett Deledio, Ivan Maric and Alex Rance helped steady them, and as the wins mounted after their round 15 defeat of the Saints, their confidence in their game plan grew.
What followed was an incredible undefeated run of victories that culminated in a thrilling three-point win over the Sydney Swans in round 23 that slotted them into September action.
While their appearance was short-lived, with Port Adelaide easily accounting for them the following week in an elimination clash at Adelaide Oval, the players still took plenty from their run to the finals.
Defender David Astbury wasn't part of it as he worked his way back from yet another knee injury but couldn't help feel the momentum generated by the Tigers' second half of the year.
The 23-year-old said they were now intent on taking that sort of form into the start of next season.
"We're looking to start the season the way we finished those last nine weeks of the home-and-away season and really build on that momentum," Astbury said.
"We obviously got some confidence out of it, and we really don't want to have to win nine straight to get a finals berth.
"We're really looking to make sure we start the season towards the upper end of the ladder and build from there."
The Tigers face Carlton in the season opener on Thursday, April 2 at the MCG.
The Tigers on the run at training. Picture: AFL Media
