RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has labelled July "big boy month", with the Tigers entering a crucial block that will separate the contenders from the pretenders.
After beating Greater Western Sydney by nine points in round 14, Richmond faces Carlton on Friday night at the MCG before clashes against St Kilda, Fremantle and Hawthorn.
Hardwick said the 8-5 Tigers, who sit sixth on the ladder, would know where they are in the pecking order by the end of the month.
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"The month of July is when the big boys step out," the coach said on Thursday.
"It's a make-or-break month, not only for our football club, but most football clubs.
"It's when the contenders step up and the pretenders step away.
"We've had that conversation with our players. It's big boy month, so it's time to come and play."
Richmond will recall Shaun Hampson for his first AFL game this season after ruckman Ivan Maric was suspended for one match for striking Greater Western Sydney's Jack Steele.
Hampson started the season in dominant VFL form but he has not played for four weeks after suffering a knee injury.
He was pulled out of the VFL last Sunday, when he was due to make his return, to make sure he was available to cover Maric once he was reported.
"He has earned his spot … he's dominated regularly at that level," Hardwick said.
"We're really excited the opportunity has presented for Shaun. It gives him just reward for effort."
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Richmond trailed the Giants by 15 points at three-quarter time last Saturday and Hardwick said his team was lucky to escape with a win after one good quarter of football.
He said he was disappointed he needed to unleash an animated three-quarter time address in an effort to inspire his troops.
"It's not very often we see that sort of reaction from me, but it probably means we weren't playing with anywhere near the level of work-rate or hardness that we know we can play to," he said.
"It was disappointing it comes to that and we spoke about that at length in our Monday reviews. From our point of view it can't come to that again this week."
