Clever Richmond forward Sam Lloyd has his sights set on establishing himself as a permanent member of the Tigers’ senior line-up next season, in a small forward role.

Lloyd has been in and out of Richmond’s side during his first two seasons at the Club, playing a total of 20 games (eight in 2014 and 12 in 2015).

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Although he was omitted from the Tigers’ team that lost this year’s elimination final to North Melbourne, the fact he’d played seven successive games leading up to that resulted in a boost to his levels of self-belief.

“I had a good finish to last season . . . I had a good start, hit a bit of a form slump during the middle, and then came back towards the end there, when we started winning a few games,” Lloyd said on ‘Sportsday’.

“I’ve developed a bit of confidence and hit the pre-season running so far . . .”

Lloyd, who was picked up by Richmond as a mature-age recruit in the 2013 National Draft, feels he has now adjusted to the tough demands of pre-season training at an AFL club.

“I’m going into my third pre-season at the Tigers now,” he said. 

“I don’t think any of them are easy, that’s for sure, but certainly, from the time I walked in there a few years ago now, it’s gotten a little easier . . .

“Your body starts to get more accustomed to the running and the weights and all the physical demands that they throw at you.  So, without it being easy, it’s certainly getting easier as the years go on.”

Lloyd’s main short-term goal is an uninterrupted pre-season, which he hopes will lead to him having a more consistent season in 2016.

“This year, I came back in good nick, and I’ve had a good couple of weeks so far, pre-season,” he said.

“Hopefully, I get through there and really nail that spot as a small forward.”