Richmond is only two completed seasons into its full rebuild, but when dissecting how the top 10 of the club's best and fairest count fared, there are some concerns.
Star midfielder Tim Taranto claimed his third Jack Dyer Medal in four seasons at the Tigers, while fellow on-baller Jack Ross was rewarded for his breakout year, finishing second.
But what comes next will raise eyebrows at Punt Road, with the hope that some of their exciting talent will begin to pop in 2027.
Veteran defender Nick Vlasutin finished in third, while departing premiership heroes Dion Prestia (fourth) and Nathan Broad (sixth) helped fill the top 10.
Following Broad closely was Jayden Short in seventh, who has expressed his desire to explore his options at rival clubs, with Collingwood, St Kilda and Melbourne all considering their pursuits.
Captain Toby Nankervis finished in eighth, although he only played 12 games in 2026.
Seth Campbell (equal fourth with Prestia), Ben Miller (equal eighth with Nankervis), Noah Balta and Patrick Retschko completed the top 10.
The trio of Sams (Lalor, Cumming and Grlj) were placed just outside.
But the reality is, which is where the concern lies, is that two of the top six placings in Richmond's best and fairest count have confirmed their exits.
Short wants out while there's a clear reliance on Vlastuin and Nankervis, who, despite being stalwarts of the proud club, desperately need assistance.
North Melbourne went down a similar path when it farewelled a large group of experienced players before entering its 10-year rebuild, which is arguably still ongoing.
Since then, the Kangaroos have won 57 matches out of 219 games (26 per cent). There were six consecutive seasons of bottom-three finishes, with this year's nine victories claiming 14th spot on the ladder.
Richmond, who parted ways with premiership players such as Liam Baker, Shai Bolton, Daniel Rioli and Jack Graham at the end of 2024, have already produced three successive bottom-three finishes, including a wooden spoon.
And the pain is expected to continue.
Richmond president John O'Rourke confirmed the club's intention to hit the draft once again, with Picks 2, 20, 38 and 56 in their arsenal.
The Tigers pushed hard for Zak Butters, but ultimately lost out to premiership contenders Western Bulldogs and Geelong, albeit the latter also failed to secure his commitment.
If Richmond uses Picks 2 and 20, it'll be the club's 11th top-28 selection in three years.
O'Rourke said at the club's best and fairest evening they will bring in more talented draftees ahead of Tasmania's entry into the AFL, but will be equipped to attack established players going forward.
It is understood the Tigers were prepared to pay Butters $2 million a season.
“Strategically, we have attacked the draft in the last two years, and we will do so again this year before Tasmania comes in and effectively takes over the 2027 draft,” he said.
“We've then got tremendous flexibility to participate in trade and free agency when it makes sense to do so.
“With the challenges of the year, there were still lots of green shoots and growth that we must now build on.
“We understand, given the extent of our list rebuild in the last two years, that progress will not be linear, but we also know from all the evidence on successful rebuilds in the modern era, including ours in the early 2010s, that significant improvement in on-field competitiveness occurs across years three and four.
“And we can rightly expect to see that from 2027.”
