Two months ago, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick raised eyebrows in some places -- and hearty guffaws in others -- when he suggested the Tigers' current playing list was the best he'd had at his disposal.

At the time, Richmond had just scored encouraging wins over Sydney and Fremantle -- after their horror start to the season -- so perhaps the burst of over-excitement and optimism could be forgiven.

But football analysts less emotionally invested in the Tigers were looking at their squad more objectively and wondering how on earth Hardwick could come to that conclusion.

Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images

After the Big Five -- Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio, Dustin Martin, Alex Rance and Jack Riewoldt -- the Tiges' list falls away as sharply as the British pound after last month's Brexit vote. In terms of talent, it has not much more depth than a sidewalk puddle.

Now the Tigers sit in 13th place on the ladder with a 7-10 win-loss record, having won one game more than supposed basket-case, Gold Coast.

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And in a tough five-week stretch to end their campaign, contests against GWS, Geelong, St Kilda and Sydney await.

The 2016 season, Hardwick's seventh at the helm, is shaping as another bust.

The main complaint from supporters is not just the losses that keep piling up but the team's tedious, indirect style of play. They routinely switch play across half-back, going sideways and backwards. There's little flair and cause for excitement and Riewoldt, one player capable of getting fans out of their seats, is seemingly encouraged to play up the ground rather than in the goalsquare.

Richmond's BigFooty forum -- admittedly not always the repository of all that is rational and level-headed -- is running a poll on whether the club needs a new coach or not. At the moment, the movement for change is running at 82 percent; those supporting Hardwick at 18 percent.

For many, the effort in the last quarter against Hawthorn on Sunday was the straw that broke the camel's back, the Hawks piling on nine goals to two in the final 30 minutes. Richmond's final score of 5.14 (44) was their lowest in Hardwick's seven seasons in charge.

Even the Tigers' greatest spruiker, Kevin Bartlett, the games record holder and former coach, said he was dismayed by what he saw at the MCG. He told his SEN radio audience on Monday: "The last quarter was like a training drill for Hawthorn: there was no pressure, very little effort, they were kicking sideways and backwards. I was taken aback by the lack of effort."

On FoxFooty's On the Couch program, another former coach, Robert Walls, was equally bemused by the club's progress, saying the Big Five players were too sensitive to criticism and not great leaders.

Of course, chief executive Brendon Gale and his team have done wonderful things off the field, turning around the club's finances and getting the membership up beyond 72,000. Even if their decision in March to re-sign Hardwick for a further two years was an absurd misjudgment.

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But on the field, a state of confusion reigns.

That's evidenced by the muddled messaging coming out of Punt Rd this year.

After the Round 3 loss to Adelaide, Hardwick suggested the club needed to take a "half step backwards to take two steps forwards". To many that sounded like he was smoothing the way for a rebuild.

Six weeks later, on May 27, he was hailing his squad as champions in the making.

After Sunday's Hawthorn defeat, he called the team's late defensive efforts as "nothing short of shameful", and gave his best midfielder this year, Dusty Martin, a clip on the way through.

Canning the Tigers has become something of a sport within the AFL commentarial. But, gee, they bring a lot of the ridicule on themselves.

If this is indeed the best playing list Hardwick has had at his disposal, we hold grave fear for the club's -- and his -- short-term future.