The Tigers are sitting on top of the AFL ladder with three rounds to play and almost have the minor premiership locked up, but David King believes they still have a major flaw in their game.
Richmond were beaten in the clearances 47-40 on Friday night, and are the second-worst clearance side in the league, with the Saints the only side below them on the clearance ladder.
โI think the clearance game is such a problem for Damien Hardwick right now, itโs like playing tennis and always returning serve,โ King told SENโs Crunch Timeย on Saturday morning.
The Tigers were beaten out of the middle time and time again during the last quarter of their gritty three-point win over the Cats, and it could be a source of their downfall if they don't fix the issue soon.
However, Richmond midfielder Kane Lambert isn't overly worried about their clearance numbers, suggesting they're losing the clearances that aren't as damaging as the ones they're winning.
โI think itโs been a little bit of a problem for us, our clearances throughout the year, so Iโm sure thatโs something weโll look out for and hope to rectify during the week,โ Lambert said.
โThe clearances that weโre losing, theyโre not coming out the front door so to speak, theyโre pretty โdirtyโ balls and more than often.
โWeโd rather win the clearance ourselves, but if weโre going to give up clearances we want to make sure theyโre โdirtyโ ones.
โItโs something we need to rectify because clearances and contested ball come crunch time of the year is crucial. Itโs something weโre trying to fix.โ
