Richmond football department boss Dan Richardson has admitted the Tigers are "paying a price" for going down the path of seeking mature-age players, revealing they had felt supporters would not accept an eight-year rebuild.
The Tigers' recruiting philosophy has again been questioned, this time in a season where they are 1-5 and appear unlikely to make the finals.
Coach Damien Hardwick took over a rabble of a side in 2010 which had been at the foot of the ladder and needed to rebuild during an era when expansion sides Gold Coast Suns and Greater Western Sydney were given a tranche of draft concessions.
This contributed to the Tigers' decision to look to a mix of young draftees and senior players from rival clubs as a way of returning to finals contention - even if this mix meant they would not emerge as a true premiership contender.
The Tigers have been beaten in three straight elimination finals, and the list management will now be heavily scrutinised amid a review of recruiting, development and Hardwick's assistant coaches.
"You have to remember in 2009 when Damien took over the club and Blair Hartley came to the club as list manager, we were at rock bottom, both on and off field. I think the club made a decision then that we couldn't take eight years to rebuild," Richardson said on Monday.
"We needed to become competitive quicker than that. But, at that time, all the best talent, basically for the next four to five years, was going to be going north and it did. And we are seeing the likes of GWS reap the rewards of that now, aren't we?
"Our strategy wasn't just going to draft, like a lot of clubs did, because we probably knew that would take six to eight years. We have seen that with the likes of Melbourne.
"We didn't think Richmond fans would accept an eight-year rebuild. We turned it around in four which we felt was a terrific achievement."
The original plan was devised in conjunction with chief executive Brendon Gale and former president Gary March. Richardson joined the club in February, 2013, replacing Craig Cameron.
The likes of Chris Knights, Aaron Edwards, Sam Lonergan, Orren Stephenson, Matt Thomas, Ricky Petterd, Nathan Gordon and Todd Banfield, who were taken through free agency, as mature draft selections or as mature rookie selections, are no longer at the club.
Former Blue Chris Yarran, who the Tigers had hoped over summer would provide crucial rebound from half-back, has not played a match because of injury but has resumed running after foot surgery.
"We are paying a price in the sense that mature-age talent would get us to a point but not take us to the next level, which was always going to the hardest thing, always the hardest part. As we know, there is really only one winner and 17 losers every year, isn't there?" Richardson said on SEN.
"Whilst it has been disappointing somewhat to not win a final, it's been a good achievement to play finals three years in a row - the first time for 20 years for the club.
"We are pleased with that but we are certainly not pleased with the way we are going now. We certainly knew to go to the next level we needed to get some young talent into the club and we have done that with our list over the last few years and, hopefully, ultimately, top up with some A-grade talent.
"We feel Yarran is one of those - we feel he will be a good, long-term player for the club. Unfortunately, injury has prevented him from playing so far."
The Tigers' top-end talent is unquestionable but their depth below their top-eight players has been a sore point for supporters.
They have turned more to youth this season, and believe the likes of Connor Menadue, Corey Ellis and Dan Rioli will be, as Richardson said, "good long-term players for us". But these youngsters will take time to mature.
Richardson denied suggestions the management of out-of-favour Collingwood forward Travis Cloke had approached the Tigers, testing any interest in a trade.
Another crunch clash looms against Hawthorn on Friday night, and the Tigers will be without skipper Trent Cotchin (fractured cheekbone) and Kane Lambert (punctured lung, broken rib). They will also rue the absence of suspended defender Alex Rance.
