Richmond coach Damien Hardwick agrees that the Tigers’ 2014 form slump is the toughest time of his AFL coaching career.

After breaking a 12-year finals drought in 2001, Richmond has won just two of eight games so far this season and is in 16^th place on the league ladder.

Hardwick, however, is ready to tackle whatever lies ahead in full-on fashion.

“It was never always going to be a linear progression.  We’ve improved every year, [but] there was always going to be a bump in the road at some stage.  And, funnily enough, you find out a little about yourself, and your footy club at that stage, and that challenge is for us now,” Hardwick said.

“So, we’ve just got to make sure we work through it and find a lot about our playing group, what drives us and what gets us better.

“I’m disappointed because I feel we are a better side than what we are playing at the moment. The situation is, I’ve been saying this for three to four weeks now and it just hasn’t turned.”

Hardwick is retaining a firm belief in the Tigers’ future direction, regardless of results . . .

“Our footy club has been united for a long period of time. We realise stability is a key factor in any successful organisation. We’re very solid in what we believe and the plan that we are going to deliver,” Hardwick said.

“There was always going to be a speed hump . . . you’re never going to constantly go up, up, up.

“There’s always going to be a downhill, and it’s a strength of your organisation to make sure you get over that.”