Richmond's VFL side were outplayed by Essendon at the NEC Hangar in their second practice match on Friday afternoon, going down by 66 points.

The Dons began the game in red-hot form making the Tigers pay for their lacklustre start, leading by 53 points at quarter-time.

Richmond came out of the first break much-improved with AFL-listed Tiger Liam Fawcett getting his team on the board, kicking a beautiful set shot from 40 metres out on a slight angle.

The Tigers soon had another, with basketball export Ned Renfree making it back-to-back majors for his team, as Jack Madgen's side started to get to work in the midfield and gain forward territory.

Still, the Dons were able to extend their lead out to 70 points at the main break but there were some encouraging signs, as new VFL recruits Leo Connolly and Aaron Sharkie worked their way into the game.

Kai Daniels also had some good moments coming out of half-time, taking a few big grabs and kicking a nice snapping goal, while Sam Toner conjured a masterful snap from the boundary line.

The Tigers had plenty of inside-50s but intercept marks from the Bombers' defenders stifled their momentum, as Essendon often went down the other end and kicked goals.

With a quarter to play, the Bombers held a 79-point lead, with Richmond still hoping to take plenty out of the last term.

Toner continued to impress as the game wore on, kicking his second goal of the afternoon early in the last quarter, while big man Daniel Lowther also snagged one.

On a tough day, the Tigers finished promisingly as they continue to work towards Round 1.

VFL Practice Match
Essendon   8.5   12.7   17.9   18.13 (121)
Richmond   0.0   3.1   5.2   8.7 (55)