Richmond was no match for the red-hot West Coast Eagles' second-half onslaught, falling by 47 points at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
The top-of-the-table clash lived up to its billing for the first half before the Eagles kicked away after the long break to seal the 20.10 (130) to 12.11 (83) victory in front of a record crowd of 57,616.
Jack Riewoldt was Richmond's best, returning a five-goal bag, while Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin (26 disposals), left to run free from a tag tried hard without much support.
Apart from the second term, when Richmond's pace worried West Coast, the Eagles had the game on their terms, moving the ball precisely by foot and leaving Tigers coach Damien Hardwick without an answer.
Reborn forward Jack Darling was simply unstoppable, booting a career-best six goals and taking seven contested marks in a dominant display.
His sidekick Josh Kennedy, for that is what dual Coleman medallist has incredibly become, slotted three majors, while Elliot Yeo (29 disposals, one goal) overcame early knee trouble to lead the Eagles' midfield, with strong support from Jack Redden (23, two) and Andrew Gaff (24, one).
Jeremy McGovern (nine marks) was impassable in defence for West Coast, while skipper Shannon Hurn (20 disposals, eight marks) produced another typically assured display as yet another interstate side came up short in Perth.
Remarkably, scores were level at the main break after Richmond wrestled back to parity from a 22-point deficit at quarter-time.
But, willed on by a state sporting record 57,616-strong crowd, the Eagles put the foot down with a stunning seven-goal third term, blowing the game apart.
It was an absorbing opening half, with the Eagles in control early before Richmond flipped the script.
West Coast burst out of the blocks, with a potent mix of talls and smalls in attack causing nightmares for the Tiger backline in a six-goal-to-two term.
The Eagles were controlling the game by foot (62-39 kicks) and McGovern was marking everything as Richmond fell into the trap of bombing high into the forward line.
But after Hardwick's quarter-time address, the Tigers rediscovered themselves and ramped up their frantic pressure, running in waves into their forward line.
In a stunning reversal, Richmond dominated the territory battle (23-4 inside 50s and 58-45 for the match) in the second stanza, turning the contest on its head with a four-goal term.
Martin's fingerprints were all over the fightback and, up forward, Riewoldt's class was on show – including in an audacious soccer finish that Tim Cahill would have been proud of.
Scores were level 44-all at the long break, but Richmond should've been in front after failing to take full toll with a wasteful 4.5 term.
However, Hardwick's men couldn't sustain the effort, limping to their second defeat of the season.
"I thought they played really well, West Coast. They controlled the game for the vast majority," Hardwick said post-match.
"I thought they looked really dangerous up forward, their backs were really solid all day.
"We've got some work to do, and that's the exciting thing for us. With these sort of losses it can go one of two ways - post-traumatic stress or post-traumatic growth.
"We got beaten by a bloody good side today."
WEST COAST 6.1 7.2 14.6 20.10 (130)
RICHMOND 2.3 6.8 9.8 12.11 (83)
GOALS
West Coast: Darling 6, Kennedy 3, LeCras 3, Cripps 2, Redden 2, Rioli, Gaff, McGovern, Yeo
Richmond: Riewoldt 5, Short 2, Caddy, Grigg, Castagna, Conca, Houli
BEST
West Coast: Darling, Yeo, McGovern, Redden, Kennedy, Gaff
Richmond: Riewoldt, Martin, Edwards, Caddy, Short
INJURIES
West Coast: Yeo (right knee)
Richmond: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Haussen, Dalgleish, Rosebury
Official crowd: 57,616
