THE EMOTION surrounding Richmond as it deals with the fallout from a horror fortnight has become "borderline hysterical", according to forward Jack Riewoldt.
The future of contracted coach Damien Hardwick has been in the spotlight after the Tigers' 88-point loss to Greater Western Sydney, and the merits of trading a big-name player have been debated externally.
WATCH: Which star should the Tigers trade?
Reports have also emerged this week about a group of disgruntled long-time supporters rallying to have certain board members replaced.
The fallout inside the football department has already begun, with two assistant coaches told on Monday they would not be part of the club's plans for 2017.
"It's borderline hysterical the way people outside the football club – and a lot of them are in the media – ride the rollercoaster that we don't ride," Riewoldt told Fox Footy.
"We're a big club and we understand that we have a lot of members, and at the moment we probably have a lot of disgruntled members with the way we're going.
"The players know that and know that we're not playing well enough at the moment.
"What can you say? We've got a lot of young guys that are playing at the moment against a side (GWS) that's going to be right up there at the end of September."
Riewoldt said there was a feeling of "disappointment and embarrassment to play like that" following the Tiqers' loss to GWS, but he was hopeful the final four rounds would present opportunities for the club to improve.
He said calls for Hardwick to be removed as coach and key players like Brett Deledio to be traded were counter-productive.
"We're not playing fantasy football here. You don't trade people in or get rid of people week in, week out," he said.
"The commentary about trading some of our better players is exactly that and I think the coach comes under that as well."
Alex Rance has been a shining light for Richmond in a tough year. Picture: AFL Media
Another spot-fire at Richmond has been speculation that star defender Alex Rance's long off-season break had caused friction with teammates.
The All-Australian backman was granted an extended three-month break last summer after agreeing to a four-year contract extension, but he will start the 2017 pre-season with the rest of his teammates.
Rance said he was not aware of any ill feeling from teammates because of the off-season break.
"It wasn't just me going to the senior body and saying, 'I need this'," the 26-year-old said on Fox Footy.
"It was a group discussion that we all partook in and it wouldn't have gone ahead if it was going to do some damage to the football club.
"It was somewhere I just felt I needed to reassess and have a bit of a check on where my life was at.
"I came back in some pretty good nick and I don't think I've skipped a beat."
