Richmond has suffered its third loss in the opening four rounds of the 2014 season, going down to Collingwood by 38 points at the MCG on Friday, in front of 62,100 fans.
The Tigers trailed from the outset, managing to only kick three goals until three-quarter time, before piling on seven in the final term.
Richmond won or broke even in most statistical categories, but errors and a lack of polish saw the Magpies seal victory by the final change.
Collingwood kicked 54 points from stoppages, with 11 of their 16 goals coming from midfielders (three each to Dayne Beams and Scott Pendlebury).
Sam Lloyd was Richmond’s best player on debut, kicking three goals (including Richmond’s only two goals in the first half), accumulating 22 disposals (at 82% efficiency) and laying five tackles.
David Astbury was one of the shining lights in defence, keeping Travis Cloke goalless. The Pies went to Cloke six times inside 50, but he only managed two marks from those entries.
Dustin Martin was the Tigers’ leading disposal winner on the ground with 29 touches (including a goal), while Dan Jackson amassed 27 disposals and Reece Conca picked up 25 possessions and laid and equal-high seven tackles.
Richmond was unable to stop the run of the Collingwood midfielders, with Pendlebury (24 disposals, three goals), Beams (30 disposals, three goals) and Dane Swan (27 disposals, two goals), among the match-winners for the Magpies.
Richmond travels to Brisbane on Thursday night to take on the Lions at the Gabba.
RICHMOND 1.4 2.7 3.10 10.12 (72)
COLLINGWOOD 4.3 7.5 10.10 16.14 (110)
GOALS
Richmond: Lloyd 3, Riewoldt 2, Martin, Arnot, Edwards, Thomas, Newman
Collingwood: Beams 3, Pendlebury 3, White 3, Elliott 2, Swan 2, Sidebottom, Blair, Ball
BEST
Richmond: Lloyd, Astbury, Martin
Collingwood: Beams, Pendlebury, Macaffer, Sidebottom, White, Fasolo, Witts
INJURIES
Richmond: Nil
Collingwood: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Richmond: Matthew Arnot replaced Tyrone Vickery at half-time
Collingwood: Josh Thomas replaced Brodie Grundy in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Fleer, Findlay, Pannell
Official crowd: 62,100 at the MCG
