RICHMOND has seen off a spirited challenge by an undermanned Essendon outfit to record an exhilarating 16-point win in front of 83,563 fans at the MCG on Saturday night.

The match was the seventh since the Dreamtime at the 'G concept was established in 2005 with the Tigers' - 16.9 (105) to 13.11 (89) - win establishing a 4-3 lead overall.

The Bombers lost skipper Jobe Watson and Heath Hocking after last weekend's win over the Brisbane Lions and were without players of the calibre of Tayte Pears, Jason Winderlich and Michael Hurley; but they showed plenty of fight to be just 10 points down with 27 minutes played in the last quarter.

With both teams squandering chances in the desperately tense final minutes, Tyrone Vickery rose to the occasion and sealed a famous win with his third goal of the night.
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Damien Hardwick demanded a greater defensive emphasis from his players after last weekend's shootout against the Western Bulldogs and the Tigers certainly obliged their coach in the first quarter.

James Hird did his best to stretch the young Richmond back six with David Hille, Paddy Ryder and Stewart Crameri all inside attacking 50, but the Bombers only managed to get it down to their tall timber nine times.

When they did, Alex Rance, Dylan Grimes and Luke McGuane were equal to the task more often than not.

A quarter played largely between the arcs produced two goals to each team, but the Tigers were able to take a one-point lead into a second term that was the polar opposite.

In this quarter the lead changed hands seven times with Essendon edging in front by a point at the main break.

Two goals to Jack Riewoldt helped Richmond bounce out to a 22-point lead at three-quarter time, which was a game-high at that point.

Nathan Foley's goal, after the Bombers pushed hard in the early minutes of the final term, edged the lead out to 23 points, but the brave Bombers agains closed, making the Tigers earn their fourth win of the season. 

Turning point
Alwyn Davey was subbed on for Kyle Reimers in the 16th minute of the third quarter and his first act was to encroach over the mark and give away a 50m penalty. Trent Cotchin's goal from close range gave the Tigers back the lead and they didn't give it up.

Talking point
The Tigers were on the wrong end of a contentious deliberate rushed behind decision when Luke McGuane was penalised against St Kilda in round two and it happened again in the third quarter here.

Shaun Grigg looked for the safety of the goal line when he handballed through with Leroy Jetta in hot pursuit, but was dismayed to hear the umpire's whistle. Jetta's resultant goal gave the Bombers a brief lead.

Magic moment
Jack Riewoldt and Jake King ignited a contest that had sputtered along when they combined to produce the first goal of the game 16 minutes in. Riewoldt threw the ball onto his right boot in heavy traffic after a stoppage and appeared destined for a goal of the year contender when the ball bounced high off its point and invited the Bomber defenders to rush it through.

King, however, was the most alert player on the ground and volleyed the ball through for a team-lifting goal.    

Sartorial splendour
Victorian state MP Bernie Finn controversially referred to the indigenous artwork applied to the famous yellow sash as 'graffiti', but the Tigers' specially-themed Dreamtime at the 'G guernseys looked a million bucks in the heat of battle. 

The next four
Richmond: Port Adelaide (TIO), Bye, Sydney Swans (SCG), Brisbane Lions (Gabba)


First quarter
The skills in the Dreamteam at the 'G game were far from flashy in the first term, with the first goal being kicked 16 minutes into the quarter, by lively Richmond forward Jake King. Dyson Heppell was gathering possessions in the back half for the Bombers - he had nine for the term, the most of any player - but Essendon lacked precision with their forward movements, despite a classy finish by David Zaharakis for the Bombers' first goal. The Tigers dominated the clearances for the term (13 to seven in Richmond's favour) but the Bombers hung on for only a one-point deficit. 

Second quarter
The game broke open in the second term, with seven lead changes for the term and eight goals, four to each side. The Bombers, though, reversed the quarter-time margin, to be leading by one point at the major change. Leroy Jetta copped a nasty - but accidental - elbow to the face early in the quarter, which resulted in a free kick and a shot at goal taken by teammate Angus Monfries.

Monfries kicked the goal as Jetta left the field under the blood rule. For one of the few times this season, though, Essendon's backline was struggling with its taller opponents: Tiger key forwards Ty Vickery and Jack Riewoldt both kicked two goals for the quarter.

Third quarter
Jetta kicked three goals for the term, but he was playing a lone hand for the Bombers as Richmond skipped away to a 22-point lead at the last change. It was on the back of some quick ball movement from the Tigers' midfield brigade. Robin Nahas led the charge with several telling possessions in the term. After streaming down the wing, he hit Riewoldt on the lead, who kicked the goal, before Nahas himself got on the end of some work in space and kicked a goal. Essendon was winning the tackles, inside 50s, contested possessions and clearances, but clearly not making the most of it with the Tigers in control.

Fourth quarter
Essendon kicked the first goal of the quarter within two minutes through Alwyn Davey to get within 16 points, and had all the momentum early but couldn't translate it on the scoreboard. A goal to Nathan Foley looked to have sealed the win, but Zaharakis' third goal, a cool kick under pressure from half-forward, kept the Bombers in the game with 10 minutes remaining. It was immediately followed by a snap from Monfries and all of a sudden the Bombers were within 11 points. In a pulsating finale, both teams had opportunities at goal. But it was a goal to Vickery from just inside 50 - his third - that finally sealed the game, the Tigers winners by 16 points and Trent Cotchin, winning the best on ground medal.

Richmond     2.3   6.5   13.8  16.9    (105)
Essendon      2.2   6.6   9.10  13.11   (89)

GOALS
Richmond: Riewoldt 4, King 3, Vickery 3, Nahas 2, Cotchin, Foley, Helbig, Newman
Essendon: Jetta 3, Monfries 3, Zaharakis 3, Crameri, Davey, Hille, Howlett

BEST
Richmond: Cotchin, Deledio, Martin, Newman, Nahas, Riewoldt
Essendon: Jetta, Heppell, Lonergan, Lovett-Murray, McVeigh, Hille

INJURIES
Richmond: Nil
Essendon: Jetta (mouth)

SUBSTITUTES
Richmond: Shane Tuck replaced by Mitch Farmer in the third quarter
Essendon: Kyle Reimers replaced by Alwyn Davey in the third quarter

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Stewart, Ryan, Jeffery

Official crowd: 83, 563 at the MCG

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club or the AFL