Richmond returned to the scene of its 2019 VFL premiership triumph to grapple with the unbeaten ladder-leaders of 2022, Carlton, who also recently toppled the Tigers during their pre-season campaign.

It was the Tigers’ first trip to Ikon Park since their memorable and gripping Grand Final victory back in 2019.

Richmond was able to flip the script in their return bout, holding off Carlton in the second half to record a mighty 25-point win full of grit and vigour.

It was a game of stark contrast regarding the flow of goals, with 18 being kicked collectively in the first half and eight after half-time, the final score reading 15.7 (97) to 11.6 (72).

The drying up of scoring was largely due to the intense pressure that both sides exuded and that the ball pinged between the arcs.

The premiership captain that day was Steve Morris, who now is the senior coach at the helm of a bevy of budding Tigers.

One young Tiger that piqued the interest of the faithful last week was Judson Clarke, and the livewire forward picked up where he left off last week.

Clarke was the happy recipient of the barrage of pressure exuded in the first quarter by every player wearing the Yellow and Black, which equated to an edge on the scoreboard.

Ivan Soldo exerted his sizeable influence in the ruck and around the contest but also up forward, kicking the opening goal of the game.

Richmond was at its best, with the likes of 100-gamer, Jake Aarts, Sydney Stack, Riley Collier-Dawkins, Rhyan Mansell and Maurice Rioli Jnr hunting the Blues from all angles.

Aarts and Collier-Dawkins were the midfield generals, both showing tremendous toughness in winning the ball and feeding it to the runners on the outside of the contest.

Samson Ryan was rewarded for his attack at the contest in the front half, by converting his free-kick into a goal.

Sydney Stack built on his solid recent form with a trademark display of goals, bumps and celebrations.

Stack bent through a right-foot check-side goal in the first quarter and then a long-range set-shot in the second, but it was his brutish attack at the ball that would have pleased the Richmond hierarchy most.

In one passage, he lined a disputed ball in the corridor, split open the pack and gathered the ball in one breathtaking motion, which led to Cam Olden’s first of his two goals in the second term.

Stack ended with a game-high three goals, snapping through the sealer to round out his best performance for the year.

Rioli Jnr shared the forward and midfield duties with Stack and is building on his performances as the weeks roll on.

The pressure gauge always spikes when Rioli Jnr is in the vicinity, with Carlton players ever-nervous when they were in his domain.

Richmond enjoyed a five-goal opening term and upped the ante in the second, kicking seven goals to Carlton’s four.

Kane Lambert was a significant driver in the second-quarter surge, kicking two goals of his own and was his sedulous best.

The Tigers had five players who kicked two goals in the first half: Soldo, Stack, Clarke, Lambert and Olden.

Richmond took a 40-point lead into the main break, with Carlton staring down its first loss this season.

Scoring dried up in the third term, with Richmond held goalless, the polar opposite of the shootout of the first half where 18 goals were kicked collectively.

The Blues made some tweaks around the contest, adding more density around the ball and forcing it forward at will, slotting the only two goals of the third term.

The ball lived in Carlton’s half for the majority and the lack of scoring meant it also pinballed between the attacking arcs of each side.

This meant that Richmond’s backline was under siege at times and the man that kept the Carlton troops at bay was Mansell.

Mansell has a never-say-die attitude that he projects onto every contest he’s involved in.

Sam Banks shares a lot of the same traits as Mansell: diligent, ever-engaged, sturdy overhead and dynamic with ball-in-hand.

When it seemed that every second player was cramping in the final term, Banks burnt a track down the outer wing, constantly providing coverage for his tiring defence.

Bigoa Nyuon put in another solid performance, holding down the key defensive post and offering great coverage and support for fellow key back Tylar Young. Young fought out an intriguing duel with dangerous Carlton forward, Ben Crocker.

CARL: 2.0 6.0 8.5 11.6 (72)

RICH: 5.1 12.4 12.5 15.7 (97)

Goal Kickers:

Rich: Stack (3), Clarke (2), Lambert (2), Olden (2), Ryan (2), Soldo (2), Aarts, Lefau