The race just to make the finals is no different. Regardless of the time and energy clubs invest in their seasons, it's ultimately the development and health of their players at the right time of the year, along with a little luck, that will dictate how far they'll go.

For Richmond, years of persistence and effort finally appears to be paying off and even their harshest critics are beginning to sit up and take notice, including me. Like countless others, I honestly believed that the Tigers had gotten ahead of themselves over the past few seasons. That their sporadic form and stars had done enough to instil hope among their huge army of supporters, but were still a long way off playing the kind of consistent footy that creates genuine belief.

The "Tigers of new" seem to have arrived, but are they a threat for the flag? One thing for certain is that September action  appears a certainty and winning a final should be the bare minimum. With the aberration of a horror finals loss, Richmond have been building since the middle of last season, when they went on a nine-match winning streak. If you count this season, they've won 17 of their past 23 games.

While that's an impressive number in itself, it's the manner in which they've gone about their business that has been most pleasing. They're playing some really good tempo football. The kind of footy that the very best do and it's seen them take their game to the next level.

While wins against Port Adelaide in Adelaide, Sydney in Sydney and Fremantle in Perth have helped herald this new era for the club, the turning point was the triumph over the Dockers.

The Tigers were just so good at working the ball up the ground. There was courage and dare, along with good decision making, skill and efficiency. They weren't scared to kick the ball long and quickly into their bigger targets, but also had poise and patience when required.

It was as good as I've seen at Richmond and it resulted in a staggering eight-goal first quarter that broke the game apart and made the players believe that they belonged at that level. Almost everyone on their list seems to have improved since that blistering 20 minutes of football and it's been that overall development that now makes Richmond a difficult proposition for any side.

All of their good players, at different times this year, have stood up. Trent Cotchin's leadership had often been questioned, but he has been brilliant when the game has been there to be won. Alex Rance's job on Lance Franklin stands out in another stellar year that's been highlighted in his re-signing, while Jack Riewoldt is easily playing the best footy of his career. Goals alone certainly don't tell the story when it comes to Riewoldt's performances. Rather, it's been his tireless work up the ground that has shocked. We've all known for some time just how good a mark and kick he is, but we've never seen the kind of kilometres that he's now clocking up in games.

It's as if he had a second tank fitted into his body in the off-season. Throw in good decision making and ball use and he's moulding into a true centre half-forward. It's something I couldn't have envisioned a year ago and has finally enabled one of Richmond's most maligned players to flourish. Tyrone Vickery has been bundled among the AFL's most frustrating players almost since the day he was taken by the Tigers as a first-round draft pick. For all the talk at Tigerland about his potential, he'd just never delivered.

But we're now beginning to see what Hardwick and his coaching panel have seen all along. Vickery is finally taking games by the scruff of the neck and kicking goals when they're needed most. His second half against Sydney was one of the main reasons Richmond pipped last year's grand finalists.

Indeed, his influence has been profound in the outcome of a number of matches. While Rance leads the way for the Tigers in defence, Dylan Grimes is having an unbelievable season as well. He's just so hard to beat one-on-one. Troy Chaplin has also been a great pick-up. His work alongside Grimes and Rance is as good a defensive combination as any. Brett Deledio, meanwhile, is proving menacing wherever he plays. Whether it's floating down back, running through the middle or providing a target up forward, his speed and skill makes him a horrible assignment for any opposition.

Dustin Martin is similarly a nightmare for his direct opponents. Martin seems to have realised that he doesn't need to be an accumulator of the ball to have a huge impact. Rather, he's bobbing up when he's needed most. He is sensing his moment. His performance against West Coast was outstanding.

And if you weren't already realising why the Tigers should be respected, think of other names such as Grigg, Ellis, Houli, Newman, Conca and Batchelor. And recruits in former Cat Taylor Hunt and the hard-running Camden McIntosh. Every one of those players are driving improvement and they're reaping the rewards against quality opposition.

The Blues won't be easy beats on Friday night, but the Tigers are starting to roar and that roar is getting louder and louder.