Richmond’s VFL season got off to a disappointing start, beaten by Footscray by 117 points at Whitten Oval on Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers fielded 13 AFL-listed players but struggled to contain the Bulldogs, who booted seven goals to none in the third term to build a match-winning lead.

The Tigers started well, through early goals to Ed Barlow and Nathan Batsanis (20 disposals), but Footscray hit back going into the first break on top.

Todd Elton worked hard in the ruck and also won the ball around the ground. He took important intercept marks in defence and finished the match with 15 possessions and a goal.

Matt McDonough only played a half but was instrumental in Richmond’s attacking moves. A superb gather and run down the wing set up a James Wall goal.

Despite the efforts of Matt Arnot, who fought hard in packs to win clearances, Footscray strung together several goals and led by 41 at half time.

Jake Batchelor was a physical presence in the defensive 50 while Brad Helbig (17 disposals, 10 marks) constantly put his head over the ball and worked tirelessly to give teammates an option.

The second half was predominately played on Footscray's terms as Richmond found it difficult to restrict their run and carry through the middle of the ground. Turnovers and skill errors also hurt the Tigers.

Richmond captain Ross Young was a standout with a team high 26 touches and five inside 50s but his team struggled to lock the ball in the forward half.

Anthony Miles and Nathan Foley also found a lot of the ball, Ben Lennon marked strongly and Sam Lloyd kicked a goal late in the game.

Batsanis snapped his second in the last quarter to cap off another solid individual performance in what was a very tough day for the Tigers.

Richmond:    3.3      4.5      4.6      7.6 (48)
Footscray:    6.1      11.4    18.6    26.9 (165)

Goals: Batsanis 2, Wall 2, Elton, Barlow, Lloyd

Best: Young, Batsanis, Miles, Arnot, Elton, Helbig