Richmond midfielder Kane Lambert says that skipper Trent Cotchin's open and honest chat over the off-season with other members of the paying group has helped him turn his form around.
Cotchin has started the season in good nick after a difficult few seasons since inheriting the captaincy, but Lambert told SEN Breakfast that the midfielder now appears to be much more comfortable in the role.
"I think a lot of the boys last year were in quite a difficult place, Trent to his credit, doesn’t like to show too much weakness," he said.
"Last year was a very difficult year for him and he opened up to the boys at the start of pre-season and I think it’s done wonders for him – he seems to playing with a lot more freedom and seems to be enjoying his football which is good to see.
"I think last year he might have tried to be someone he wasn’t and this year plain and simply he’s been himself and that’s why we love him and you know he's playing some fantastic footy and he's been a great leader for this footy club for a long time.
"As soon as I walked in the four walls three years ago I was impressed with Trent but in particularly this year he seems to be a lot more free and has a lot more energy and being himself."
The Tigers suffered a disappointing 76-point loss at the hands of ladder leaders Adelaide at the weekend, but Lambert believes that the group will return quickly to form.
"I know we got a fair touch up from Adelaide on the weekend, but the best thing about that is you know we learnt a lot of lessons and we move on pretty quickly," Lambert said.
"I don’t think so we have a lot of belief among our group and we’ve done a lot of work over the pre-season.
"We knew Adelaide were a fantastic side and our first quarter we were pretty happy with the way we played in the first quarter, but plain and simply Adelaide smashed us in contested ball after quarter-time but we move on and we look at a the tapes and learn lot of lessons from Adelaide but were confident where we are at and well move on pretty quickly."
“We will move on and we’ll look at the tapes and learn a lot of lessons from Adelaide, but we’re confident where we are at and we’ll move on pretty quickly.”