The Crows are now two games and significant percentage outside the eight with just four games remaining, and they have a tough run home on the back of the 15.10 (100) to 11.14 (80) loss.
Watch the spirited Tigers sing the team song after the match
The first term was a turnover-fest, with both sides struggling in the slippery and gusty conditions, and in the second the Crows blew the opportunity to put the game away when they kicked 4.9 with the last 13 scoring shots of the term to lead by just three goals after going inside 50 16 times compared to the Tigers seven.
The third saw a much better effort from the Tigers as they outscored the visitors six goals to two - including debutant Robbie Hicks’ first AFL goal to take a single-goal lead in to the last on the back of a Luke McGuane major.
The Tigers got the first two goals of the term to get the lead out to 18 points, but Kurt Tippett’s first of the afternoon got one back before the hail arrived and turned the ground white, and the Tigers ran the game out with two of the last three goals.
The Tigers were brilliantly led by veteran midfielder Ben Cousins, who played his best game for the club, while a host of midfielders in Jeromey Webberley, Shane Tuck despite numerous turnovers, Shane Edwards, Dustin Martin and Daniel Jackson, while Brett Deledio and Chris Newman were as good as ever across half-back.
Next week, the Tigers face the surging Melbourne, while the Crows have the Western Bulldogs at AAMI Stadium.
Richmond 4.4 5.4 11.7 15.10 (100)
Adelaide 3.2 7.11 9.13 11.14 (80)
GOALS
Richmond: King 2, Riewoldt 2, Tuck, Webberley, White, Martin, Morton, Browne, Cousins, Hicks, Jackson, McGuane, Newman.
Adelaide: Douglas 2, Sloane, Dangerfield, Griffin, Vince, Walker, Reilly, Porplyzia, Thompson, Vince.
BEST
Richmond: Tuck, Deledio, Edwards, Newman, Cousins, King, Jackson.
Adelaide: Thompson, Symes, Mackay, Vince, Stevens, Doughty, Rutten.
INJURIES
Richmond: Andrew Collins (corked thigh) replaced in selected side by Robbie Hicks
Adelaide: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: McBurney, Kamolins, Jennings
Official crowd: 19,181 at MCG
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
