Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has likened his AFL side’s race to the finals to the sort of come-from-behind challenge they faced in a five-point loss to Geelong.

The Tigers, boosted by the inclusion of Alex Rance and Brett Deledio on Sunday, finally started to resemble the side that posted 15 wins in 2013.

But the run and dare wasn’t on show until they gave up a 35-point lead to the Cats, a buffer that proved insurmountable despite some terrific passages of play in the second half.

The club’s season tells a similar tale, they’re finally looking the goods but enter the bye in 13th spot on the ladder thanks to a 2-5 record.

“It’s still there,” Hardwick said of his side’s finals prospects.

“It’s a bit like when you’re down three or four goals at quarter-time.

“You just try to chip away, chip away, chip away (and climb back into the top eight).”

Hardwick took heart from not only his side’s impressive form at a wet-and-windy MCG, but the evenness of the league.

However should they lose to Melbourne on Saturday week, September dreaming will become harder to justify for long-suffering Richmond fans.

“Melbourne played outstanding footy against Adelaide,” Hardwick said.

“…You’ve only got to be off your game by a slight amount and you can get your pants pulled down.”

Hardwick said former captain Chris Newman is likely to miss three weeks due to a calf injury he sustained on Sunday, while ruckman Ivan Maric (ankle) is still two to three weeks away.

Hardwick praised the effort of Rance, Deledio, Dustin Martin, Brandon Ellis, Shaun Grigg and Nick Vlastuin, but warned all of his charges the bar had now been set.

“There’s some things we did all over the ground that set a standard – the way we moved the ball at various stages and the way we defended,” he said.