RICHMOND will be ready for whatever opposition teams throw at it after the Tigers overcome the "different challenge" Geelong presented on Friday night.  

The Tigers led the Cats by 23 points midway through the last quarter before three quick goals to Geelong drew them back to within four points.

With under two minutes remaining, Cats star Gary Ablett had a shot for goal but missed, and the Tigers clawed onto a three-point win, stretching their run to 19 straight wins at the MCG.

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Coach Damien Hardwick said the Cats had surprised the Richmond coaching box with some of their plans but it had given the reigning premiers another glimpse into how rivals will try to beat them in September.

"It was a different game, there's no doubt about that. It was a Richmond-like game with the forward-half turnovers," Hardwick said after the win.

"They showed some things that caught us – I wouldn't say off-guard – but they had some things work for them that allowed them to score some goals. They were pretty aggressive with their ball movement through the middle of the ground.

"Once again we got a good look at it and they got some goals as a result of that. It was a different challenge and one I'm glad we came through in the end."

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Richmond was in control of the game for large periods, but the Geelong midfield was excellent, with Patrick Dangerfield (39 disposals), Joel Selwood (37) and Tim Kelly (36) all starring.

Hardwick, who said his side didn't look "as vibrant and fresh as we normally do", outlined how the Cats' ploy of 'dangerous kicks' using the centre corridor had allowed them some opportunities to score.

"They're good if they come off, but generally we probably win those contests more times than not. We got a really good look at a system we hadn't seen before, they've obviously done some work on that and came in with a plan," he said.

"I wouldn't say [we were] fortunate to walk away with the points, but it was a good quality game."

He denied his players had suffered any letdown after last week's huge clash with Collingwood, when the Tigers marched past the Magpies with a barnstorming final term.

"Players go up and down at various stages, and we probably had a lot of guys who were a little bit jaded today, but in fairness the contest that we had was a high-pressure game," he said.

"Our players will recover and look forward to playing the final three rounds of the season."

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The Tigers head to Metricon Stadium next Saturday to take on Gold Coast. They are one of three clubs – alongside Collingwood and Hawthorn – in the hunt for forward Tom Lynch, who informed the Suns on Thursday of his intention to head to a Victorian club as a free agent.

However, Hardwick could not be drawn on when the Tigers would like to know if the free agent was heading to Punt Road.

"When Tom's ready to make an answer, he'll let you guys know, I'm sure of it. I'll leave it at that. He's a Gold Coast player so [it's] nothing to do with me," he said.