RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace admits the Tigers must rely on results falling their way to be any chance of playing in the AFL finals this year.

Richmond remain a mathematical chance to play in September provided they win their final three regular-season games and other results go their way.

But Wallace said he and his players acknowledged that a dismal 63-point defeat to Adelaide last Sunday had realistically ended the club's campaign.

"We've said as a group that we believe that that [making the eight] is now out of our control," he said.

"It really comes down to others winning and losing [having] an impact on where we're going."

Wallace said the players were as disappointed as he had seen them, given they knew what the sniff of the finals had meant to Richmond fans.

The 11th-placed Tigers are six points outside the eight, plus percentage. They play Hawthorn, Fremantle and Melbourne in their final three games.

Meanwhile, North Melbourne's top-four AFL aspirations continued to climb after ruckman Hamish McIntosh declared himself ready to return from a knee injury against Carlton today.

McIntosh damaged the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against Fremantle in round 12 as the Roos copped a heavy loss and fell out of the eight.

But in a further boost to the club's revival in the second half of the season, which stands at five straight wins, McIntosh said he had been amazed how quickly he had regained fitness after initially fearing the worst.

"I thought it was an ACL [anterior cruciate ligament] when I did it," said the club's No.1 ruckman, who finished fourth in last year's best and fairest award.

"But a PCL, you think 10 weeks and I thought the season, but it's amazing how quickly the strength comes back and how much your fitness can come back that quick.

"Now it feels good and I'm ready to play again."