Richmond VFL has registered a convincing 55-point win in the wet over Collingwood on Friday at Olympic Park Oval.
The Tigers led from start to finish, holding the Pies to four goals as they recorded an 11.14 (80) to 4.1 (25) victory.
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Richmond burst out of the blocks with two quick goals in the opening two minutes.
The first, a big kick from Connor Menadue that bounced through for a goal, the second, a left-foot snap out of the pack from Toby Nankervis.
The Pies struggled to keep up with the Tigers’ pace and were kept goalless in the first term, as Oleg Markov stacked on two more majors.
Despite the slippery conditions, Richmond was damaging in the air and composed with ball in hand.
Markov set the tone for the Tigers as he continued to relish his new role up forward, his speed in attack unrivalled.
Another who thrived in the wet was Jacob Townsend, who racked up 23 disposals and laid a whooping 10 tackles.
Nankervis produced a dominant performance in the ruck in what was a solid half of football as he prepares for a senior return.
By half-time, the visiting Tigers had established a handy 29-point buffer.
As the rain continued, the game became increasingly scrappy and contested.
But the Tigers adapted to the conditions and took it in their stride, scoring a brace of soccer goals off the ground courtesy of Ben Miller and Luke Nelson.
Miller finished the match with two goals, while young Nelson amassed 12 touches and laid four tackles.
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Collingwood worked its way into the game at times, but Richmond’s defensive unit, let by Ryan Garthwaite, was quick to shut down the Pies’ opportunities.
In a quieter third term, Richmond kicked two unanswered goals to extend its lead to 44 points.
In typical Richmond spirit, the Tigers fought until the final siren. It was a true team performance, with eight individual goalkickers.
Collingwood was held to just two majors in the final term, as Richmond drilled home three last-quarter goals to secure a comfortable win and maintain its spot on top of the ladder.
Menadue was lively as he led the Tigers for disposals (25) and marks (six).
Kamdyn McIntosh was solid in his first VFL appearance since Round 15, 2018, the wingman finishing with 16 disposals and three marks.
The VFL Tigers’ next assignment will be Casey next Saturday August 3, when the two sides meet at the Swinburne Centre at 2.30pm.
Watch a video replay of Richmond VFL's 55-point win over Collingwood via the Richmond Media YouTube account.
