Richmond has emerged victorious in the fourth Anzac Eve clash over Melbourne, following a savage final quarter onslaught to win by 46 points.
Despite Jack Higgins providing some early excitement with a three-goal first half, the game lacked polish and flair in the initial stages, with turnovers and unclean play prominent from both sides.
But a final seven-goal term from the Tigers turned the lacklustre quality of play around, simultaneously obliterating any hopes of redemption for the Demons.
Coming off the back off a deplorable 68-point defeat against Hawthorn last week, the Dees were determined to make a statement and affirm their position as a genuine finals contender.
Yet their scrappy and low-scoring term prevailed as the ultimate message, with Richmond's opening quarter near-identical in terms of quality.
The jitters were evident early for Melbourne after James Harmes hooked a shot on goal out on the full, but a subsequent turnover and Jake Melksham snap got the Dees underway.
Although the intensity through their tackles (29 for the term) rattled the Tigers early, Melbourne's emphasis on pressure resulted in a lack of composure around the ground.
Appearing panicked with the ball in hand, the Dees finished the term with a considerable 23 turnovers, and ultimately lacked the class to hit the scoreboard.
Yet the Tigers were unable to fully pounce upon their opposition's uncleanliness.
While the sloppiness of the Demons rubbed off on the Tigers in what was a mistake-ridden quarter (27 turnovers), the reigning premiers managed to cobble together a handful of goals through their run in waves.
Second-gamer Jack Higgins booted the opening goal from the square for the Tigers, before Jason Castagna put one through - albeit 16 minutes later - to give Richmond a three-point advantage at quarter-time.
It looked as if Richmond would kick into gear in the second term after maintaining possession for most of the quarter and utilising their solid running style of play.
Yet the Tigers were unable to punish Melbourne's ineptness, kicking only the three majors in what was an uneventful quarter.
Higgins provided one of the rare highlights for the term with back-to-back majors, while Trent Cotchin emphasised his class with a stunning defensive mark.
From then on, the standard of play resumed to that of the scrappy opening stanza, with mistakes aplenty from either side.
A terrible blunder on the goalpost from Jacob Townsend saw a certain Richmond goal become nothing more than a comedic display, after the ball popped into the air and was easily rushed through.
Melbourne meanwhile struggled to gain any fluency around the contest and move the ball forward, registering their first inside 50 after 14 minutes of play.
A free against Alex Rance gifted Melbourne their first for the term to Melksham, who by the end of the half remained as the Dees' only goalscorer.
As Melbourne continued to decline, the Tigers kicked into gear late, with a massive running goal from Sam Lloyd closing the quarter.
Armed with a 20-point lead - a margin which flattered the lacklustre Demons - the glimpses shown from the Tigers had them poised to bury their opposition in the second half.
But refusing to bow out, the Demons wrestled their way back into the contest, at one point cutting the margin back to just a single kick.
Finding their hands on the ball more often, the Demons smacked the Tigers around the clearances, finally taking advantage of Max Gawn's rucking dominance, which he led 47-14 against his direct opponent, Toby Nankervis.
Quiet in the opening half, Jesse Hogan slotted a much-needed major just one minute into the third, before Garlett brought the Demons within eight points after a fortuitous defensive turnover.
Melbourne's tackling similarly served as a testament to their endeavour, with Angus Brayshaw bringing down Lloyd after he bit off more than he could chew trying to sidestep the Demon.
But much like their consistency throughout the game, polish and the ability to finish cleanly ended up being elusive for the Dees.
The extra finesse proved invaluable to the Tigers, who managed to nullify Melbourne's fightback with goals to Jack Riewoldt, Dion Prestia and Lloyd.
Richmond hearts were in mouths after Dustin Martin limped from a contest after knocking his knee, yet appeared unhampered after nearly jagging the Tigers' fourth for the term.
Although Melksham's third goal put the Dees just 19 points behind, it would take something special for them to bounce back given their current form.
Within the opening minutes of the final term however, the tide began to turn as Harmes made amends for his earlier spray with a clutch goal.
A courageous contested leap from Michael Hibberd furthered the Demons' belief, although there were initial fears after the defender landed awkwardly on his neck.
Yet Hibberd's heroics failed to spark the Demons.
Despite another Hogan major, Melbourne's resurgent spirit dissipated after the Tigers piled on seven goals with ease to close out the game.
Ballooning the margin out to a 46 final points, Richmond cruised past the Demons, who devoid of all confidence following the sudden blowout, slumped to their third loss of the season.
Richmond meanwhile were flowering in their victory, making their way to the first position on the ladder with a record of 4-1 - the achievement the first time they had been on top of the table after round five since 1995.
Melbourne will seek retribution when they face off against Essendon, while Richmond will take on Collingwood in a Sunday afternoon blockbuster at the MCG.
MELBOURNE 1.5 2.6 5.8 8.8 (56)
RICHMOND 2.2 5.8 8.9 15.12 (102)
GOALS
Melbourne: Melksham 4, Hogan 2, Garlett, Harmes
Richmond: Higgins 3, Lambert 2, Castagna 2, Lloyd 2, McIntosh 2, Riewoldt 2, Prestia, Cotchin
BEST
Melbourne: Hibberd, Oliver, Gawn, Melksham, Jones, Hogan
Richmond: Lambert, Edwarts, Higgins, Martin, Cotchin
INJURIES
Melbourne: Kent (hamstring)
Richmond: Nil
TALKING POINTS
1. MELBOURNE'S BELIEF IS BEGINNING TO FALTER
After CEO Peter Jackson declared Melbourne's 67-point defeat against Hawthorn "trashed [their] brand", tonight wouldn't have done them many favours in disproving his statement.
Lacking dare, polish and belief, the Demons were sloppy in the opening half with a dismal 2.6 on the scoreboard.
Although the Dees brought themselves back within a single kick in the third quarter, their chances were snuffed out in the final term.
Dropping their heads so quickly after coming to the realisation a win was out of reach, Richmond punished their lack of faith with a seven-goal onslaught, blowing out the margin to 46 points by the final siren.
With such a drop-off in attitude and intent - especially in terms of their tackle pressure - it's almost unbelievable the Demons let a narrow loss turn into a sizeable deficit within the space of 15 minutes.
By no means did Melbourne play well, but don't mistake their initial sloppiness with their final absence of belief.
A side who give up when the going gets tough is simply unacceptable should Melbourne consider themselves to be finals contenders.
For those who thought last week may have been an aberration, think again - the Demons still have a way to go.
2. THE TIGERS TURN IT ON LATE
On the flip side, the Tigers showed they have the ability to turn games around in a heartbeat.
Sensing their opposition's vulnerability, the Tigers seized the opportunity with both hands, catapulting themselves into first position on the ladder with seven goals in the final term.
Slick clearance work, rapid scoring and unrivalled pressure at the forefront of their 15-minute purple patch, the Tigers showed once again they will be serious contenders for the flag in 2018 (as if they had to prove it already).
Like Melbourne, Richmond were sloppy around the ball in the opening half, and failed to fully capitalise on their opposition's wavering game play early.
It may have raised some eyebrows - especially in a blockbuster game which the Tigers generally thrive off - but if Richmond can produce such damaging periods of play on a bad day, imagine what they can do when they're fully firing.
Yikes.
3. JACK HIGGINS PROVIDES THE SPARK
He's an excitement machine, and with Daniel Rioli out of the side through injury, Jack Higgins appears to be the perfect man to fill the void.
Already a crowd favouite, Higgins lit up the MCG with his harrowing presence around the ball, adrenaline-based style of footy and three goals in the first half.
At half-time, Higgins' eight career kicks at AFL level had resulted in five majors.
While he fizzled out in the second half, Higgins' influence will carry through games with more time in the senior list, and ultimately, more experience.
Damien Hardwick would be foolish to drop the youngster next week; his kids won't be too impressed otherwise.
4. MAX GAWN UNREWARDED FOR HARD WORK
Max Gawn can walk away from tonight's Anzac Eve clash knowing he did everything he possibly could to will his side over the line.
Finishing with 56 hit-outs for the game, Gawn far surpassed the statistics of Toby Nankervis, who ended with 19 hit-outs.
Yet the Demons were unable to capitalise on Gawn's sublime performance, winning only eight centre clearances against Richmond's 16.
With the Richmond midfield too strong, particularly in the latter stages of the game, the big ruckman can nonetheless be proud of his efforts in attempting to give his side a fighting chance.
5. Anzac Eve is here to stay
While some have criticised Anzac Eve as being an insincere money grab with an Anzac label tacked on to attract viewers, there is no denying the pre-match commemorations for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country are truly sincere.
While the term "Anzac Eve" should not be penned as a date in the calendar like "Christmas Eve", the day nonetheless is of the utmost importance to all those involved and honoured.
It's an opportunity for more people to acknowledge what our former and current servicemen and women have done for our country, and given the gravitas of the occasion, it's only fitting they be acknowledged.
Local football matches honour the Anzacs on days separate to April 25, so how is this clash between Melbourne and Richmond any different?
The only difference is the size of the audience; the sincerity is all the same.
While the heroics of football and war can never be compared, if people can come together through football as a common ground in order to honour the fallen, why not show it.
Irrespective of the calibre of football played, Anzac Eve football is here to stay.
Does it somewhat take away from the significance of April 25?
Possibly, but either way, it's the honouring of the Anzacs which we should be taking notice of.
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