Trying to break the door down into Richmond's drought-breaking premiership team left Sam Lloyd huffing and puffing and out of luck.
So now he's trying a different door.
Better known as a forward, the 27-year-old has trained exclusively with the Tigers' midfielders this pre-season.
It is a tough rotation to break into, given Richmond's midfield boasts several of the game's top players.
But Lloyd and coach Damien Hardwick decided on the change when they met after last season.
"I've moved into the midfield this pre-season and although it's a long list of blokes to get in front of, I'm certainly trying to put my (best) foot forward," he said.
"Probably the motivation is to get into a premiership-winning side and as much as we were all a part of it, I wasn't on the ground and playing.
"I thought I was playing as good footy as I ever have in the VFL, but I think we had one injury towards the end of last year and everyone was playing really good footy.
"I was trying to knock down the door and it wouldn't open."
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Lloyd played eight senior games last season for a total of 50 and won the Norm Goss Medal as best afield in the VFL Grand Final.
But he could not break back into the AFL after the round-16 loss to St Kilda.
Despite missing out on the Tigers' drought-breaking flag, Lloyd said the players outside the AFL team were made to feel a part of the triumph.
"It wasn't tough, because we're a really tight-knit group," he said.
"The players, coaches and club really made you feel like you're a part of it every day and especially when we won.
"It was really emotional in the end.
"To be a part of that, playing good VFL footy and (eight) senior games, you certainly feel like you contributed and they made me feel like that as well."
The midfield is not completely new for Lloyd – he has pinch-hit through there before.
"Getting my fitness up, which I've done in the last three years, has been the main factor in that,"' he said of the move.
"At the moment I'm assuming AFL or VFL, I will be starting in the midfield and then rotating forward."
