The knives are poised over several of Richmond's underachieving players, with coach Terry Wallace promising personnel changes and tough decisions following another afternoon of football butchery by his AFL side.

The Tigers' 26-point defeat to Brisbane at the MCG on Saturday has left several players' cards marked following sloppy disposal, poor decision-making and turnovers galore.

Wallace refused to rant and rave at his players post-match, saying he was pleased with their effort and endeavour despite giving up a four-goal lead midway through the second quarter.

But their skill level was another matter and he foreshadowed tough decisions being made by the club ahead of their next match and at season's end to cull players clearly short on what he called "respect for the ball".

"We've got to keep changing the personnel around until we get the right personnel in there who can have the respect (for the ball)," Wallace said.

"I will do what the club thinks is the right thing to do in regards to having a look at players and seeing who can and who can't (play at AFL level).

"We've got to make some difficult decisions going forward.

"No one likes us being in the position we're in and we have to work out who the right guys are to take the club forward and who aren't."

Wallace looks certain to be among those vacating Tigerland by the end of the season - his side's sixth loss in seven games further enhancing the perception he is a dead man walking.

Among those also under pressure may be forward Nathan Brown, who was a late withdrawal from the Lions match with a nagging groin problem and will perhaps be playing for his career if and when he does return.

"When you've got players like Ben (Cousins) and Nathan who are getting towards the end, they've got to be right," Wallace said.

"Nathan clearly knows he needs to play good footy in the latter part of the season. He needs to be 100 per cent right to play and he wasn't 100 per cent right.

"Going back two or three weeks ago he was playing injured. It doesn't do him any good and it doesn't do us any good.

"I said to him 'you've got to come to me and tell me you're 100 per cent right' and he couldn't look me in the eyes and say that was the case."

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