RICHMOND v GEELONG

DION Prestia sensed Richmond was in trouble when the club limped to the mid-year bye on the back of three successive losses.

But one bit of familiarity kept the hardworking Tigers’ midfielder hopeful the wheels could turn on their injury-interrupted season … the last seven games at the MCG.

Prestia thought it might provide a platform from which the Tigers could launch another premiership assault.

“I guess you kind of get to the bye and reassess everything,” Prestia told News Corp this week.

“We’d come off a few losses in a row (to North Melbourne by 37 points, Geelong by 67 points and Adelaide by 33 points) … and you start doubting yourself and the team a bit.

“But I kept looking at those seven games in a row at the MCG … knowing we play that ground so well.

“I thought if we could get back on track, perhaps not hit form straight away, but slowly get ourselves back into some touch. I thought it could set things up for us.”

Richmond hasn’t lost a game since, having won 10 matches in succession, including those much talked-about seven in a row at the MCG leading into the finals.

Heading into tomorrow night’s preliminary final clash with Geelong at the MCG, the Tigers are clear-cut premiership favourites.

Prestia, 26, has played a significant role in this, not just because he has enjoyed a careerbest season, but also due to the growth in his leadership skills.

“I guess I have been able to impact the group and impact games a bit more this year than I have in previous years,” said Prestia, who has played every game this season and had a career-high 636 disposals.

“I guess that when you are playing as an inside midfielder, you are always going to get high numbers.

“But it was about finding other ways to help the young guns like Jack Ross and Jack Graham coming through as much as possible. We are definitely going to need them at some point. That’s probably been the biggest difference for me and my game this year — thinking about others and how I can help them.