Given Richmond lost to Carlton by 10 goals in round one a year ago, last weekend's 20-point loss to the Blues was a big improvement.
But Hardwick continues to play down his team's prospects this season.
"They've come a long way, but they've still got a long way to go," he said. "You've got to remember that we're second year into a process that's probably going to take some time.
"We've brought a lot of players into the club - 24 over the last two years. Most of those are starting to contribute on a regular basis.
"Although it probably seems we've become younger than last year, I think we've become better also, which is a great step forward for us."
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