Richmond head into 2022 having missed finals for the first time since 2016 and are now expected to bounce back.
The Tigers dropped all the way down to 12th, in parts due to injuries, form and luck.
Primed to find themselves in contention again, with the return of injured stars and the acquisition of Robbie Tarrant, who will play a significant role in the side.
Can Richmond win their fourth flag in this premiership window? This season is sure to tell.
Ins: Josh Gibcus (National Draft), Tom Brown (National Draft), Tyler Sonsie (National Draft), Sam Banks (National Draft), Judson Clarke (National Draft), Robbie Tarrant (North Melbourne).
Outs: David Astbury (retired), Mabior Chol (Gold Coast), Callum Coleman-Jones (North Melbourne), Derek Eggmolesse-Smith (delisted), Ryan Garthwaite (delisted), Bachar Houli (retired), Patrick Naish (delisted).
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Strengths
Midfield: It's quite obvious that one of Richmond's key strengths is their midfield.
Headlined by arguably one of the greatest players in recent history in Dustin Martin, the engine room at Tigerland is stacked.
Martin is crucial, and with his return the team is already better than they were in Round 23, depending on his form and fitness.
Dion Prestia is another important name, if he has a clean run without injury the Tigers' midfield will be humming once again.
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No longer captain, Trent Cotchin could revitalise his career without the added pressure of captaincy, while Shane Edwards, Shai Bolton and Jack Graham all add to a strong midfield.
Graham in particular is coming off a breakout season, averaging 19 disposals, four inside 50s and 5.5 tackles. The 23-year-old can only improve his game further.
Youth: Richmond benefit from having a big group of young players. Previous dynasties from Brisbane, Geelong and Hawthorn saw the sides focus on trying to retain their position and seek out established players rather than build their youth.
The Tigers on one hand, at least right now, are still contenders, and if they are in the twilight of their premiership window, they haven't thrown the kitchen sink at many big names, but have blooded their youngsters.
Last year allowed them to do so, with injuries to key players allowing the likes of Riley Collier-Dawkins, Rhyan Mansell, Thomson Dow, and Jack Ross to experience minutes at AFL level, while Jake Aarts continues to grow as a small forward, and Sydney Stack and Daniel Rioli shined some light at half-back.
Not much needs to be further said of Bolton, who showed the footy world what he's capable of.
As aforementioned, Graham is a star in the making, while Liam Baker was also massive in his own breakout year.
