following week with a game-high 10 rebound-50s, a team-high 652 metres gained and two AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year votes, the only Richmond player to record votes in that loss to . After 13 rounds of the season Short ranked third in the league for total metres gained and ninth for rebound 50s. He was at that point labelled by AFL Media as Richmond's most improved player, with the media organisation also predicting he would be running fifth in the club's best and fairest count at that stage of the season. Another pivotal performance came immediately following the bye, with Short kicking two goals and recording a game-high 722 metres gained in the club's round 15 win over . Following that match he was ranked second in the league for metres gained. He added another four goals in the following four matches, including a two goal performance that saw him named among Richmond's best in his 50th career match, a round 19 win over . By the end of that round Short had taken the number one rank in the league for metres gained, averaging 526 per match. He remained in form at AFL level through the end of the regular season and into the club's home qualifying final against , where he recorded 21 disposals. Short contributed a further 18 disposals in what was a disappointing end to the year in a shock preliminary final knock-out loss to . At season's end he was named at half-back in the AFL's 2018 Player Ratings seconds team. Short was also named at half-back in the AFL Players Association's 22 under 22 team and placed ninth in the Richmond best and fairest count. He finished the year having ranked first in the league for metres gained and 10th for rebound 50s. Short's performances in 2018 led him to be labelled by numerous media outlets as one of the most improved players in the league that year, including AFL.com.au who named him second by that measure and labelled him an unlucky omission from that year's All-Australian squad. 2019 season Ahead of the 2019 season, Short was named by Fox Footy as the Richmond player most likely to make a significant rise in output that year. He started the 2019 campaign with appearances in each of the club's two pre-season matches before recording 20 disposals in round 1's season-opening match against .