Richmond assistant coach Justin Leppitsch has declared the sky is the limit for the Tigers in 2017

Leppitsch has been hired by the Tigers to look after the forward line. It is the second time he has been part of the coaching panel at Punt Road.

With the recruitment of exciting midfield duo Dion Prestia and Josh Caddy in the off-season, Leppitsch says the next step is getting the playing group to believe how good they can be.

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“I think our players don’t realise that this is a pretty good group ... We’ve got a high ceiling,” he said on the Tigers website.

“Only 12 months ago, we were in a finals campaign ... three in-a-row and the team hasn’t really changed a great deal. It’s got a little bit younger, and with inexperience sometimes comes inconsistency. But we understand that. The actual talent within the group is really good. The sky’s the limit for the team.”

The Tigers are coming off a disastrous 2016 campaign in which they won just eight games and finished in 13th spot on the ladder.

Although he wasn’t at Richmond last season, it was equally as tough for Leppitsch, with Brisbane winning only three games which resulted in him being fired by the Lions.

Despite being away from the club, Leppitsch remained in close contact with Tigers head coach Damian Hardwick.

“It has obviously been an interesting year for both of us. We speak quite regularly and text. It is always good to have someone to bounce ideas off,” Leppitsch said.

“It (coaching Brisbane) probably gave me a greater awareness of footy clubs and the footy industry, which is really important.

“I think I can use that to not only support ‘Dimma’ (Hardwick) really well, but support the footy club and the players going through difficult situations.

“It’s a high-pressure environment, AFL ... we’ve got to make sure that we keep a really calm, focus inside our walls, so our players can actually be nice and relaxed when they go out and play.”

Working at Richmond will also allow Leppitsch to work closely with former Brisbane teammate Craig McRae.

McRae coaches the Tigers VFL side.

“We share an office, which is a worry,” Leppitsch joked.

“We’re pretty close, obviously from our time playing together and have always been really close mates. So sharing an office is going to be exciting. I’m sure it’s going to be a bit of a crazy office ... He’s a terrific guy and a terrific coach. And he’s done some great things with the (Richmond) reserves this year.”