RICHMOND put up fierce resistance but could not prevent Fremantle running away with a 39-point win at Subiaco on Sunday night.

The Tigers were the better side early, kicking the first five goals of the game, and they were still in the hunt for their first win of 2010 early in the fourth quarter.

However, Fremantle’s form so far this season held true and Mark Harvey’s side advanced to fourth place on the AFL ladder with a 15.22 (112) to 11.7 (73) win.

Fremantle's influential midfield trio of Aaron Sandilands, Michael Barlow and David Mundy drove a run of eight unanswered goals to build a 20-point lead at the final change.

The Tigers refused to go away with early goals in the fourth quarter, but Fremantle clicked into action and booted five of the game’s last six goals.

The Tigers played their best football of a so-far fruitless season in the opening quarter, with Robin Nahas and Brett Deledio in superb touch.  

Nahas finished with three goals and 18 possessions as his side’s best, while Nathan Foley (25 possessions) worked into the game.

Dustin Martin (21) continued to play a leading role in Richmond’s engine room, but, despite the visitors' bright start, there was a sense of inevitability about the end result.

It doesn’t get any easier for the last-placed Tigers, who take on Geelong in round six.    

Fremantle   1.5   4.12  10.19  15.22 (112)
Richmond    6.1   6.4    9.5      11.7 (73)

GOALS
Fremantle: Pavlich 4. Ballantyne 3, Sandilands 2, Hill, Crowley, Duffield, de Boer, Fyfe, Hasleby
Richmond: Rance, Nahas 3, Riewoldt 2, Martin, Taylor, Tuck

BEST
Fremantle: Sandilands, Barlow, Mundy, Ballantyne, Broughton, Pavlich
Richmond: Nahas, Foley, Martin, Rance, Tuck, Deledio

INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
Richmond: Tambling (hamstring), Taylor (knee)

Reports: Nil

Changes: Nil

Umpires: Nicholls, Dalgleish, Schmitt

Crowd: 38,010 at Subiaco Oval

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.