Richmond deserved to have their progress questioned given recent AFL results after last Sunday's 82-point thrashing to Sydney, Tigers coach Terry Wallace admitted.

Wallace said he could understand Tigers fans pondering how far the side has come under his reign, as Richmond recorded results of 12th, ninth and 16th in his first three seasons and currently sit 12th with three wins.

And he conceded the Tigers deserved to be judged harshly on putting up a performance so unacceptable at the SCG, despite it coming after six credible displays, which included two wins, a draw and three honourable defeats.

Wallace said the next three games, against Adelaide at the MCG on Saturday, followed by Melbourne and Port Adelaide, would determine whether the Tigers could regain their encouraging form or allow one bad defeat to send them back into the mire.

"We believe we've made some real ground over six weeks and probably taken six steps forward and taken one major step backwards," he said.

"It will be this weekend and the next couple of weeks will see whether we continue to march forward or whether we allow one game to (have an) impact (on) what we've done in a five- or six-week period."

Wallace said Collingwood and the Crows themselves had proved recently that sides could bounce back quickly from bad defeats, and that others were prone to massive falls when they built themselves up for one game.

He cited Port Adelaide's capitulation to Geelong in last year's grand final as a prime example.

"I sense it was a little bit similar to what happens on a big occasion game, where you build yourself - and we were really keen to get up there and show things - and so quickly it went wrong it was just like deflating the tyres," he said.

"We've got to learn to manage and handle that and grind our way back into a game.

"You just can't say `It's not going to work', and fall apart.

"I thought that's what we did a little bit."

The responsibility of preventing another spiral downwards will fall to Chris Newman and Nathan Foley, who will jointly lead the side while captain Kane Johnson recovers from a knee strain.

Richmond believe Johnson could miss up to four games, but will assess next week whether his strained medial ligaments have settled, which could mean he returns earlier.

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