Athletic key-position youngster Ben Griffiths is determined to make the 2014 season the best of his short career to date.

The 22-year-old admits to being “really disappointed” with his output last year, a season which yielded just one game.

“I had a reasonably good pre-season, and felt really good coming into it,” Griffiths told Roar Vision.

“I just didn’t perform to the standard I set myself, and the standard the Club sets as well.”

Sign up as a Richmond member for the 2014 season, online at the Tigers’ membership web hub

Griffiths has enlisted the help of Richmond’s Senior Development Coach Mark ‘Choco’ Williams in a bid to fast-track his development.

“I’ve done a lot of work with ‘Choc’ this pre-season, with extra contested sessions after training,” he said.

“That was the greatest area of improvement that I needed in my game. 

“He’s really good at pushing you through, and helping with the technique sort of stuff.

“This pre-season I’ve noticed a massive change in my game.  I’ve still got a long way to go, but if there’s one man who’s going to help me get there, it’s him.

“My goal is to play every game (in 2014), and not just to play games and get through, but have a real impact for the team.

“I feel like this pre-season I’ve put myself in a pretty good position to do that.”

Griffiths has also kept himself busy in the off-season by continuing his work for the Australian Working Dog Rescue Organisation.

The organisation is a non-profit charitable institution whose primary function is to save working dog breeds from being euthanased in council pounds and shelters, and find new homes for them.

Griffiths is the foster carer for two dogs, including ‘Ralph’, a kelpie who was saved from being put down last year.