Former St Kilda midfielder Nick Dal Santo is not convinced that Richmond will make a notable impact in the back end of the season, despite a 5-1 run in their last six outings.
The Tigers currently sit eighth on the AFL ladder with a 7-5 record but face a challenging upcoming fortnight against Carlton and Geelong.
Speaking on SEN’s Crunch Time Dal Santo specified what part of the yellow and black he feels is different from their recent premiership years.
“I’ve heard some commentary this week about the Tiges (and how they are) about to launch and it's only up from here, but I can’t see it,” he said.
“Take away the numbers for a split second, my eye doesn’t have the same feel and visual that it had.
“I think they’ve lost their punch.”
The 322-gamer says the killer instinct of Damien Hardwick’s men seems to have faded due to the ageing list that still remains as the core of the group.
“They kicked five goals in the first quarter and life’s pretty and they’ve got Port Adelaide exactly where they want them (on Thursday night). Then the next hour you sort of go, 'well, nothing really happened there', they didn’t even put on a couple of goals just to keep the scoreboard ticking over,” Dal Santo explained.
“They’re not what they once were, that’s not a knock on them it's just a reality of guys getting older, and your best is somewhere behind you.
“It's going to be hard; nothing is easy anymore for Richmond and that’s just a reality of the game.”
Richmond will host Carlton in a blockbuster on Thursday night in what shapes as a decisive clash for where both sides stand midyear.