RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick says he's heartened by the strength of his players' reactions after last weekend's 10-point loss to West Coast, which was the second narrow loss to a top-four contender in as many weeks.

In an image that may well be considered a jumping-off point if the Tigers' fortunes do improve, Richmond captain Chris Newman was seething when he hurled his mouthguard to the ground after the loss to the Eagles at Etihad Stadium last Sunday.

Many of his teammates showed similar disappointment while, in the coaches' box, Hardwick looked as if the thought crossed his mind to belt his phone on the bench before he composed himself and walked sharply around the boundary line to the Tigers' rooms.

The defeat by the Eagles followed a 10-point loss to Geelong at Simonds Stadium the previous week.

"The honourable loss is a thing of the past," Hardwick said. "We want to win football games."

Hardwick joked during the press conference about the danger to his phone before adding that he loved seeing the disappointment in his players' faces after the West Coast loss.

"You saw Chris at the end of the game, he was demoralised," Hardwick said.

"It was a bitter disappointment. I've got no doubt it's a spur in their side and they'll come out all guns blazing this week."

Richmond plays Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Sunday in a match in which both teams will seek to build on promising starts to the season by scoring their second victory.

"Port Adelaide and ourselves are both in similar positions," Hardwick said. "We're probably playing better football than our records suggest."

Richmond lost to Carlton and Collingwood after brief lapses and then Geelong and West Coast through inexperience.

Their only victory during 1-4 start has been against winless Melbourne.

Port Adelaide defeated St Kilda before losing to Essendon, Sydney, Collingwood and Adelaide.

It, too, has a young list that will gain composure only through experience.

Hardwick repeated his statement from last week that he expected full-forward Jack Riewoldt to find form before long.

Riewoldt kicked 2.3 against West Coast in a performance where he and fellow tall forward Tyrone Vickery, who also kicked two goals, showed signs of improving on their disappointing starts to the season.
Hardwick said Riewoldt's defensive efforts had improved in the past three games.

"We just feel it's a matter of time before he gets a scoreboard result," he said.