Richmond has already improved its win-loss record from last season, sitting with three wins across the first five rounds of the AFLW season.

However, first-year coach Jarrad Donders has set bigger goals for his team, with aspirations of building and growing the Tigers into a competition powerhouse in the future.

“We want to be one of the top four teams in the AFLW, and we will be striving to be the best in the AFLW,” Donders said before the season started on In Their Words, when asked about what he wants Richmond's AFLW program to become in the future.

“Because if you don’t have clear goals and aspirations, you’ll never get there, and without saying it, you’ll never get there as well.

“Once everyone is on board with that, I think it can be a really exciting time, but optimising and sustaining to be one of those top four teams for a long period is where Richmond belongs.”

Clear on his goal, Donders hopes to execute on his plan by being organised and process-driven.

As part of that plan is forming and fostering strong relationships with his players, that will then help drive their performance.

“I think just having an organisation piece around what you want to achieve across your first 100 days and to have an instant impact with your players because every player matters,” Donders said about his approach when he arrived at Richmond.

“You want to spend equal and the same amount of time with every player to ensure they’ve got clarity and understanding of where we are heading and what we are doing.

“Connecting with the players instantly, understanding the environment and then helping them understand their game.”

Richmond has seen on-field performances improve, with its younger players stepping up, from Sierra Grieves winning the Round 1 Rising Star, to No.1 draft pick Olivia Wolmarans kicking seven goals in her first five games, just to name a couple.

Donders values a people-first approach, hoping to connect with each player, aligning them on the team goal and objectives for the journey ahead.

“I want to leave people in places better than I found them,” Donders said.

“From a values perspective, I’ve got inclusivity, challenge, authenticity and inclusion, which are key values to the way I operate.

“Hopefully [the players] feel that and see that within me, and when I reflect upon my days and my weeks, I come back to those values, hoping that I’m leaving people and places better than I found them.”

Richmond takes on GWS this Sunday in Canberra.