LAST year, Richmond hit rock bottom and decided it was time to make a change. And that change has come thick and fast, both with personnel and style.

An internal review, new coach, head of footy, high-performance manager and six new players later, 2026 is now all about the Richmond resurgence.

But before coach Jarrad Donders was even locked in, the Tigers' recruiting staff were focused on where AFLW is headed strategically. Speed, run and carry is on the menu, so their recruiting reflected exactly that.

"I think it's where the competition's going, isn't it?" Katie Brennan told AFL.com.au.

"Like, we talk about the men's getting faster, and no doubt our women's game is going in that direction as well… The ball coming in quicker is a great thing as a forward, but it's just a more exciting brand to play and a more exciting brand to watch. So, it'll just be the future of the competition, and no doubt every team's wanting to get a bit of pace on their ball as well."

It's a style that established players at the club feel confident can propel them back up the ladder, if executed correctly. And it has thrown a fresh look at the Tigers' preseason.

"I love a fast game of football, within reason of course, but we're definitely going to be a lot quicker," Monique Conti said.

"Without giving away too much, we're going to love the run and carry a lot more than we have, and we've got the talent to do that, we've got the speed and the skill to be able to flick that ball around and get some speed on it."

Two names have been thrown up time and time again by those at Richmond as crucial additions to help that transition to quick footy: Georgia Stubs and Baia Pugh.

Stubs was traded in from North Melbourne where she failed to break into the senior side after two years on the list, and Pugh was plucked out of Wonthaggi and the Gippsland Power.

Both are known for their tenacious running power outside the contest, and in Stubs' case, her capacity to break away from congestion. Senior players challenged recruiting staff to find more players who can reliably get busy outside the contest and run all day. They are assets the Tigers felt they lacked last year, allowing opposition sides to snatch momentum and score heavily against them.

"Baia, she's great. She's very fit, like a really, really great runner. She's also quite deceivingly quick, too, but she's going to be someone that is probably going to have the ball in her hands quite a bit running as well, so she'll be someone to look out for with that running game," Conti said.

The Tigers were chuffed when Pugh slipped to pick 54 in last year's Telstra AFLW Draft. Still a raw talent with limited footy under her belt, she caught the recruiters' attention in the games she was able to play.

In fact, they count their lucky stars that cramping at the Combine and injury in the National Championships effectively hid her from other clubs throughout the year, allowing her to slide to their back-end picks.

And Stubs is someone the Tigers have been watching since her draft year of 2023, and is now reunited with members of her draft class Isabel Bacon and Mackenzie Ford.

"She's quick, she's strong," Bacon said of Stubs.

"She's trained alongside Jasmine Garner, Ash Riddell, so she's very intelligent with her footy IQ and she loves to speak up as well. So, to get her finally on the field playing for us would be amazing."

The pair have been perfect additions for the version of Richmond Donders is crafting, and complement those already at the club and other additions like No.1 pick Olivia Wolmarans, draft surprise Fina Dethlefsen, Fremantle inside-midfielder Dana East, and Irish rookie Ana Mulholland.

As a team, they are hopeful that this new style of footy will allow their stars to shine brighter.

"Mon Conti you know can win the ball on the inside, but can use it incredibly well on the outside and dodge anyone in her way, same with Ellie McKenzie. We've got some ball winners in and under that can really feed it out to those two, but they can both win their own ball inside the contest," Brennan said.

"I think that they're going to be better off the back of it, but I just think probably more so, our unit will be stronger as well, and then just some running half-backs to be able to carry that ball through, hopefully through the corridor, and get it pumping in fast."