With their strong start to the AFL season in danger of being squandered, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick wants his players to overcome last week’s backward step.

The Tigers take on high-flying Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Saturday having lost their last three matches – teetering with a 3-3 win-loss record.

Their loss to unbeaten Geelong last weekend produced what Hardwick says is an unacceptable rate of errors.

But against a team at 5-1 and the season’s surprise packets, Hardwick believes the Tigers are capable of rebounding.

“The rate of errors from us was probably the thing we haven’t made in a long time,” Hardwick said on Thursday.

“We felt we took a step back in that area … whether it was the pressure of Geelong or just a mental error from ourselves – we think it’s probably the latter.

“We get another chance this week to rectify the results of the previous three.

“No doubt these sort of games can galvanise a group.

“We haven’t had some good performances over the last couple of weeks, and it’s great to go away as a group, get that gel back together and play some good football.”

Port premiership coach Mark Williams and ex-Power defender Troy Chaplin head a contingent from that club who have switched to Richmond – Hardwick himself a 2004 premiership player at Alberton.

Hardwick admitted some of Chaplin’s intelligence on certain Port Adelaide players had been tapped into, though their style was different under new coach Ken Hinkley.

Tigers defenders Dylan Grimes and Ricky Petterd have already been ruled out of the match with injuries.