2026 Expectations - RichmondZero Hanger
7 Feb 2026Richmond fans won’t forget the Round 1 comeback against Carlton in a hurry, which provided optimism that permeated through the entire 2025 season.
Success was never going to come in the form of regular wins last year, given the club’s significant investment in youth. Still, the development and upside that the debutants showed throughout 2025 would have had supporters salivating about what the future could hold. The consistency and firmness of coach Adem Yze’s messaging about the club’s clear direction added to the sense that the club was on the right track, while Ben Miller took a step forward, and Tim Taranto was an important talisman of the midfield group.
It was not all smooth sailing, though, suffering several blowout losses, but those are hard to avoid given the list’s demographic.
Richmond improved from two wins in 2024 to five wins in 2025, and with the young core having shown such promise, they would love to get around the eight-win mark. Perhaps more importantly, though, will be for the Tigers to boost their percentage beyond 66, which reflects them competing for longer periods and will come as their emerging talent becomes more seasoned at AFL level.
The club lost nine games by eight goals or more in 2025, so the priority should be minimising those blowouts as much as possible.
Once they’re in games for longer, the Tigers can start learning about what it takes to win down the stretch and establish a winning culture.
https://www.zerohanger.com/free-your-ultimate-guide-to-the-2026-afl-season-is-available-now-172703/
