Richmond's "diabolical" one-point loss to Essendon in the final 10 seconds of the match was its seventh defeat by less than a goal since the start of last year.
The Tigers have also drawn twice in that time, with coach Damien Hardwick left frustrated and angry by yet another close defeat.
"It was a horrible game by us, to be perfectly honest. We couldn’t defend 140-odd uncontested marks, it was just diabolical. It was obviously strategy coming in, we saw it with their VFL guys (earlier in the day), but we just couldn’t stop it," Hardwick said.
"I thought they used the ball, controlled their defence through their offence and we just couldn’t get the ball back, which was incredibly frustrating.
"It wasn't helped by the fact that offensively, we just gave the ball back, 36 turnovers in the front half is just horrendous by nature. We didn't give ourselves an opportunity, we had 60 inside 50s, but we just kept giving the ball back.
"Our disposal and decision making inside 50 or inside the forward half was really poor. We'd give the ball back, then they'd start their uncontested marking chain, then we'd start again. It's a reasonably simple process that we just didn't get right."
The Tigers have been without spearhead Tom Lynch since round five, and with the star still in a moonboot rehabbing a foot fracture, the marking hole he has left will continue to be vacant for quite some time.
Winger Marlion Pickett (184cm) has been trying to play as a key target, and despite his easy leap, doesn't have the presence of the 199cm, 100kg Lynch.
"Yeah, we were (up by 18 points in the fourth quarter), but playing incredibly poorly," Hardwick said.
"[Lynch] is a wonderful player, but he's not back in the short-term, so we've got to find a way. We've got Jack (Riewoldt), who's battling his backside off to be perfectly honest, and if I'm being honest, he probably shouldn't be playing at the moment, he's incredibly sore and he's just tough. He's putting his hand up to play because I need him.
"But we need more. We've got young Samson Ryan who's developing, he probably wasn't at his best tonight, but he had a lot of mates.
"So we just have to continue to find a way and battle through it and other sides are going through it. There's no excuse from our viewpoint, we just have to get better, invest in what we know can work and get to work on it."
