Richmond’s finals chances will come down to the last round of the season after falling to Sandringham by 33 points at the Swinburne Centre on Sunday morning, 10.11 (71) to 15.14 (104).

The Tigers were left playing a long game of catch-up after their slow start.

Despite scoring 10 goals apiece after quarter-time, Sandringham’s 37-point quarter-time buffer proved too hard for the Tigers to overcome, despite their best efforts to get to as close to 15 points.

In the opening term, Sandringham exploded out of the blocks to register the first 11 scores of the game, five of them being majors.

Despite conceding 25 inside-50s in the quarter, Jacob Blight was outstanding defensively, managing to minimise the onslaught. He was influential on the day, finishing with 32 disposals and 13 marks.

Richmond’s first score, a rushed behind, came early in the second quarter before livewire forward Mohammad Yassine (eight disposals, two goals) got on the board off the back of impressive forward-pressure.

The Tigers were working their way back led by impressive work from Jack Ross (27 disposals, three tackles and three clearances), Tyler Sonsie (25 disposals, two tackles and nine clearances) and Jagga Smith (21 disposals, two tackles and six clearances) in the midfield.

Three more Tiger goals came in the quarter from Archie May, Ry Cantwell – his first as a VFL Tiger – and Yassine’s second of the morning.

In his first game back from a long-term wrist injury, May was influential on return to finish was three goals from his 13 disposals.

The Tigers pegged back an early deficit to trail by 14 points at half-time.

The Zebras kicked the all-important first goal of the second half, but the Tigers got an instant response through 18-year-old Finn O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan featured for the Tigers as their 23^rd man on Sunday morning and was impressive with 11 disposals and two goals.

AFL-listed youngster Liam Fawcett got in on the action with his first goal in Tiger colours.

Selected with pick no. 43 in the 2023 AFL National Draft, Fawcett was impactful in the air and at ground-level in his first Richmond game.

Sandringham broke the sequence of goal-for-goal on the stroke of three-quarter-time and entered the final term ahead by 21 points.

Two Sandringham goals early in the final term nullified any chance of a Richmond comeback.

The visitors got out to a 33-point lead in the last quarter, and left the Tigers with a mountain to climb, as was the case in the opening term.

In the end, the Tigers’ slow start came back to haunt them, as they managed to break-even after quarter-time with 10 goals apiece, but couldn’t peg back the initial 37-point quarter-time margin.

Richmond currently sit in 10^th position on the Smithy’s VFL ladder, just two points inside of a Wildcard position.

In Richmond’s bid for playing finals, their loss to Sandringham on Sunday morning sets up a must-win clash against arch-rival Carlton next Sunday, August 18 at IKON Park.

Richmond 0.0 4.7 7.8 10.11 (71)

Sandringham 5.7 6.9 10.11 15.14 (104)

Goalkickers: May (3), Yassine (2), O’Sullivan (2), Cantwell, Fawcett, Johnson

Best: Blight, Ross, Johnson, Sonsie, May, Smith, Garner