A poor third quarter from the hosts saw Essendon kick six unanswered goals before a Richmond major just before the break got it back inside a goal. Scott Lucas kicked one five minutes after the restart, but then Brown kicked three and Troy Simmonds one as Essendon finished the game with a flurry of behinds from missed opportunities.
The Bombers were down to one man on the bench by the third quarter but kept running hard despite the lack of rotations available to them. The Tigers eventually won 16.12 (108) to 15.14 (104).
Richmond had all the answers in the first half, and went to the long break with a lead of four goals, but the Bombers almost stole the game in the end.
The Tigers played terrific footy in the first half – looking to run on at every opportunity, pumping the ball long and using the pill constructively.
But after half time it was like watching a different team – kicking backwards, kicking short, holding play up at every opportunity.
Brown was brilliant in the last, but Simmonds was terrific all game in the ruck against David Hille and just as good around the ground. Nathan Foley ran himself into the turf through the middle; Mitch Morton and Brett Deledio were good forward, while Chris Newman provided good run all day.
For the Bombers, Scott Lucas and Matthew Lloyd provided problems all day, with Lloyd often pushing well up the ground. Hille was useful and Kyle Reimers provided good rebound. Midfielders Jobe Watson and Brent Stanton got a lot of the footy.
The first term got off to a sluggish and error-ridden start with both teams struggling to keep their feet. It took seven minutes before the first goal was scored, when Kane Johnson took advantage of being caught high. The teams swapped goals before Richmond kicked another pair, and the Tigers led by 12 points at the first change.
Joel Bowden kicked a ripper after two minutes to start the second. Leroy Jetta replied with his first after missing two golden chances in the first, then the Tigers booted three in a row to go to a 29-point lead
Scott Lucas then grabbed terrific pack mark to drag one back, but Deledio went to ground level for a diving mark to restore the lead. Brent Stanton kicked a couple for Essendon before Morton's fourth meant a lead of four goals at the long break.
The Bombers went mad in the third, but their lack of ability to rotate players to the bench in the last told and the Tigers snuck home.
Next week Richmond play the Lions at Telstra Dome, while Essendon meets Collingwood at the MCG.
RICHMOND 5.2 11.5 12.9 16.12 (108)
ESSENDON 3.2 7.5 13.7 15.14 (104)
GOALS
RICHMOND: Morton 4, Brown 3, Deledio 3, Simmonds 2, Johnson, Bowden, Tambling, Hughes
ESSENDON: Lucas 3, Stanton 2, Jetta 2, Lloyd 2, Hille, Atkinson, Lonergan, Reimers, Slattery, Laycock
BEST
RICHMOND: Simmonds, Brown, Foley, Morton, Deledio, Newman, Tambling
ESSENDON: Stanton, Watson, Hille, Reimers, Lucas, Lloyd, Peverill
INJURIES
RICHMOND: Late change: Thursfield in for Connors
ESSENDON: Monfries (left ankle), Welsh (concussion), Jay Neagle (ankle), Late change: Michael in for Fletcher (ankle)
REPORTS
Nil
Umpires: Rosebury, Ryan, Head
Official crowd: 56,746 at the MCG
The views expressed in this story are those of the author and not necessarily of the club.
