Richmond's next three matches will show whether they are toothless Tigers this season or the real AFL deal.
Friday night's 38-point loss to Collingwood at the MCG left them wallowing with a 1-3 start to the season.
Only two teams in the past five years have recovered from that start to make the finals - and one was when Carlton was elevated from ninth to the top eight because of the Essendon supplements scandal.
The Tigers play Brisbane at the 'Gabba next Thursday night in a game they should win, followed by massive tests against powerhouses Hawthorn and Geelong.
After four years of gradual improvement under coach Damien Hardwick and a return to the top eight last season, Richmond are at the crossroads.
"I think it's the biggest hole we've been in (during his time as Richmond coach)," Hardwick admitted.
"I think the character of us as a football side will be on show for the next month.
"We've got a long way to go."
Asked about the stern challenge facing them in the coming weeks, Hardwick replied: "It's probably the way we want it, to be honest.
"To get your best performance, you've got to set the bar high and to play against the best is where we want to be.
"So we've got to address a few things, get better and move on."
He said travelling next week might be the best thing for his players as they try to rally from Friday night's poor performance.
Despite recent history strongly suggesting Richmond's 1-3 start has put them out of finals contention, Hardwick said their prospects remained strong.
"The season's still alive, it's going to be a very close competition this year," he said.
