THE TIGER at the heart of the reigning premier's form revival says the Richmond "brand" is coming back.
The coaches voted Kane Lambert as the Tigers' best player in each of the past two games – both victories – since a round four loss to St Kilda left them sitting 14th with just one win.
The midfielder's numbers across the board surged during the past fortnight, after a slow start by his standards ahead of Saturday night's game against North Melbourne at Metricon Stadium.
"Individually, I was probably struggling a little bit, much like the whole team," Lambert said on Tuesday.
"But I just simplified it and came back to what makes me a good player, and holistically as a group we've redefined that."
The dual premiership player is one of the AFL's great stories of perseverance, after being repeatedly overlooked before Richmond finally nabbed him in the rookie draft six years ago.
Lambert has become an increasingly integral part of the Tigers' success, including being runner-up in the best and fairest in 2018 and finishing third in the 2017 premiership season.
The 28-year-old played his 100th game two Sundays ago against Melbourne.
"I don't tend to reflect too much," he said of the milestone.
"I think I got asked what it sort of meant to me, but it's more about the people who invested in me over the years, so it was a bit of a reward for them.
"But I'm looking forward to what's ahead, more than what's behind."
The immediate future is a bit of an unknown because of the COVID-19 crisis, which has forced all 10 Victorian clubs to relocate interstate without a return date.
Lambert has settled into 'hub life' and avoids the rolling coronavirus updates where possible.
For him, he's just interested in focusing on the Tigers hitting their best form.
"I feel like we're building," Lambert said.
"There's plenty of growth in the way we present, but again, much like myself, it's coming back to the basics in what makes us a great footy team and our connection and building on that.
"We did feel like we weren't Richmond-like (for a while there) but that look, as such, is starting to come back."
