Richmond have a sniff of reaching the AFL finals, but coach Terry Wallace wants his Tigers to become a side that can stay in the top half rather than make irregular appearances.

The Tigers must beat the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night to stay in the hunt to play this September, but Wallace on Tuesday said he was focused on getting the club into a position where it could string finals campaigns together.

The Tigers have played in only three finals series since they won the 1980 premiership, but have not strung consecutive campaigns together since 1971-75.

Richmond marred their achievements in reaching recent finals series by crashing the following season.

They fell to 10th in 1983 after contesting the previous grand final, finished ninth in 1996 after reaching a preliminary final in 1995, and followed third in 2001 with 14th in 2002.

"That's always been our aim, when we get there is that we've got the ability to stay there," Wallace said.

"Whether that's getting there this year or getting there next year, whenever that may be, but it has to be based on something that is sustainable. That's all we've ever cared about."

Richmond are currently 10th, one game outside the eight, and a chance to reach their first finals campaign in seven years.

"We've still got our own destiny in our own hands and that's how you want to be in a season," Wallace said.

"It's much more pleasant for the playing group, coaching group and more particularly your supporter base to be going along to games to be at least dreaming and be excited coming into those games of footy, where we weren't in that situation last year.

"Our first aim is to get back to 50-50 footy and if we can get a win on the weekend then all of a sudden we get our season back to eight (wins), eight (losses) and a draw, so at least we're back to square one."

The Tigers have several reasons for optimism ahead of the clash against the Lions, as star player Matthew Richardson should return and Mark Coughlan is making encouraging progress in their recoveries.

Richardson trained well on Monday and Tuesday, and should return after missing the past two wins through a hamstring strain.

Coughlan has got through three VFL games, although Wallace said the midfielder needed to string about five games together to prove he had overcome persistent hamstring troubles before he could be considered for a senior recall.

And Graham Polak made his first trip home from hospital last weekend since he suffered a severe head injury when hit by a tram last month.

Wallace himself is also feeling better after being plagued by a respiratory problem which had him in hospital last week and even suffering breathing difficulties last Friday, the night before the Tigers beat Essendon.

But small forward Kayne Pettifer will not play again this season after he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee playing in the VFL last weekend.

Pettifer will undergo a reconstruction this week, but Wallace expected him to recover for the start of next season.

The 26-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season, but Wallace hinted the Tigers could offer him another deal.

"We've said to Kayne that we'll let him know where he stands sooner rather than later - we think that's the only fair thing - but I'm confident we'll be able to work out something with him," he said.

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