Despite the disappointing result, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says he is "incredibly proud" of the fight the Tigers showed in Saturday's "heartbreaker" against Geelong at the MCG.

"It was a great game of footy ... they're a great side, experienced and got a great understanding of what plays work," Hardwick said following the three-point loss.

"We were on the end of the heartbreaking loss today, but we learned a fair bit about ourselves and the opposition we played, and we look forward to the next time we meet." 

Losing Dion Prestia to concussion early in the clash required a number of magnet shifts, but Hardwick was pleased with how his side adapted. 

"We lost Robbie (Tarrant) for a 15 minutes concussion test as well, and then Jack came off with the blood rule...it was a challenge," Hardwick said.

"The positive for us was that the players took it on board and understood what we were trying to do."

Hardwick credited tough Tiger Liam Baker for playing a pivotal role in the Tigers' fight-back, as they turned the contest into a "Richmond-like" game in the second half. 

"He's been unbelievable, he's been outstanding again," Hardwick said

"We tried to figure out who could go there to give us a bit of a spark, and he had 14 contested balls and seven clearances.

"He's a wonderful player, wonderful guy, wonderful Richmond Man.

"He certainly helped us get the game going more our way."

Shai Bolton was another standout with three goals and five marks. 

"I thought he was terrific," Hardwick said.

"Some of his marking was first-class and he's a damaging player."