JACK Riewoldt has thrown his support behind coach Damien Hardwick following Richmond's third straight elimination final defeat.

The Tigers forward arrived at Punt Road at around 10.30am on Monday morning to speak with news crews about the Tigers' 17-point loss to North Melbourne.

Hardwick has just one season to run on his contract, but Riewoldt disputed any suggestion the coach's future could put the club under more pressure going into 2016.

"Not at all. It's one thing that this group is strong at doing, we really stick together when times are tough," Riewoldt said.

"This will really hurt the blokes going forward."

The coach let fly at the playing group in the team's post-game meeting, but Riewoldt said that was to be expected.

"In regards to the meeting yesterday … look, he cares about the footy club," Riewoldt explained. 

"The coach I want to play for is the guy that cares deep down about this group, the football club, its fans, its supporters, its members and everyone that's involved in the Richmond Football Club.

"So, I would have been disappointed if he wasn't angry, 'cause I was.

"I was frustrated, I was disappointed, I was angry after the game.

"I couldn't think a better bloke to be playing footy for at the moment."

Players are expected to drown their sorrows at a club-sanctioned lunch on Monday, but it's understood there won't be typical 'Mad Monday' style festivities.

Riewoldt also refused to let North Melbourne's injection of fresh legs after resting almost half its side from round 23 be any kind of excuse.

"We had a nine-day break from Friday to Sunday, we play off shorter breaks than that during the season, so that was certainly no factor in it what so ever.

"If you're 5 per cent off your game, you can get beaten by anyone and we clearly didn't play up to the standard we wanted to yesterday."