RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick believes the Tigers can extend their era of dominance next year despite being all but out of the running of this year's finals series.

The Tigers dropped at least a win outside of the top eight with their 39-point loss to Greater Western Sydney on Friday night and require West Coast to lose its remaining two games, as well as a number of other results to fall their way, if they are to make the finals this season.

It comes after a rich period in the club's history that has seen them net the 2017, 2019-20 premierships and reach the preliminary final in 2018, but Hardwick said the Tigers could regroup if they miss the top eight this year and challenge again in 2022.

"I'd hope so. The situation is for us if we have a good pre-season I think we'll be a hell of a lot better. It's been a tough road, three of the last four years being long and deep into September and then to have the last year that we've had," he said after the defeat to the Giants.

08:56

Round 22: Hardwick post-match

Damien Hardwick speaks to the media following the Round 22 match against greater Western Sydney

"I'm not going to lie, this year's been as hard as it's ever been and whoever wins it this year is going to have an enormous tick beside their club.

"If our guys do refresh, regenerate a couple of things, get some young talent in and invest in the talent we've already got, I think we'll be reasonably placed to have another crack."

Richmond has won just two of its past nine games in a second half of the season slump, with its list hit by injuries to key players across all parts of the ground including a season-ending kidney injury to matchwinner Dustin Martin.

06:59

Round 22: Match highlights

Highlights from the Round 22 match against Greater Western Sydney

Hardwick identified the NAB AFL Draft as the club's likely off-season focus and said there was no issue with the team's hunger, with a longer pre-season period without a finals series a possible silver lining of not making the top eight.

"We haven't had a lot of luck on the injury front this year," Hardwick said.

"The seasons are tough but they're tough on every club and some clubs handle it better than others and we probably haven't done as well as we'd have liked this year for a variety of reasons. But I've got no doubt we'll bounce back."