The evenness of the AFL competition is extracting extra effort from the Richmond players this year.
At the midway mark of season 2013, the Tigers are in ninth place on the ladder, with six wins and four losses, but have a game in hand due to the bye last weekend.
Just two wins (eight points) separates sixth-placed Collingwood and 12th-placed Gold Coast, in what shapes as a frenetic run home to the finals.
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has made his charges fully aware that they have to work harder than ever if they’re to be part of the 2013 September action.
“His message is that the competition’s so even now that the general rate of improvement isn’t probably going to quite cut it,” the Tigers’ captain Trent Cotchin told ‘AFL Insider’.
“We need to accelerate that process as quickly as possible, and that’s just driving each other more so than even the coaches driving us.
“It’s got to come from within and that’s the development we’ve been trying to improve.
“Whether you’re a young player, or a core-group player, or a leader, we all need to improve at a faster rate than the opposition teams.”
