The Power led by five goals halfway through the third term, but found themselves 16 points in arrears, and staring defeat in the face, late in the final term.
The brave Tigers, courtesy of five-goal hero Robin Nahas, had the lead at the 25-minute-mark of the last quarter, but some individual brilliance from Warren Tredrea saved the home side from shock loss.
Tredrea took a strong mark 30m out and converted for his seventh goal of the day before slipping down back and taking a game saving mark.
Travis Boak (25 possessions, six clearances, one goal) and Dom Cassisi (23 touches, six clearances) were instrumental for the Power, while Shane Tuck (31 disposals and five clearances) and Mark Coughlan (24 touches) were among the Tigers’ best.
Ben Cousins also played his best game in the yellow and black, finishing with 24 possessions and three clearances.
The dark skies and drizzling rain suggested fans were in for a dour affair at AAMI Stadium on Sunday, but the first quarter was anything but.
Tredrea made a mockery of the slippery conditions and three Richmond opponents on his way to 4.3 for the term.
The Tigers’ response came in the form of unlikely hero Nahas. The 21-year-old terrier battled hard for his three goals and also set up his side’s opening major to ruckman Troy Simmonds.
Port Adelaide, coming off a disappointing first half against North Melbourne, started with a lot more vigour against Richmond.
Cassisi and Boak led from the front with 21 possessions, seven hardball-gets and five clearances combined.
The Power dominated the contested possession count, but failed to capitalise fully on their nine scoring shots for the term.
Nahas and Coughlan set the tone for the visitors and a late goal to the former cut the deficit to just nine points at the first break.
Richmond turned up the heat in the second term, but it wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard.
The Tigers, through Tuck, Cousins and Daniel Jackson, gained the ascendancy at the clearances, but Port Adelaide still managed to double its quarter-time lead.
Jacob Surjan, who was moved onto the dangerous Nahas, provided the highlight of the term with a clever one-handed mark to help set up an equally brilliant running goal to Danyle Pearce.
Richmond had all the play, but added just one goal to returning star Nathan Brown from their 16 trips inside the forward 50.
A late major from Brett Ebert undid all the Tigers’ good work and saw the Power go 18 points clear at half time.
Kane Cornes, who boldly overcame a shoulder injury to take his place in the side, emerged from the main break a little worse for wear and was forced from the ground after becoming physically ill in the opening minute.
While the vice-captain was down on his haunches, his skipper Cassisi was stretching the lead with his first goal of the game.
A fifth major to Tredrea stretched the margin to a seemingly insurmountable 30 points, but the Tigers refused to concede defeat.
Richmond, through Nathan Foley, Richard Tambling, Kane Pettifer and Andrew Collins, rallied and piled on four unanswered goals to reduce the margin to just seven points.
Tredrea steadied for the Power with his sixth goal, but the Tigers were relentless in their pressure and endeavour.
A fourth major to livewire Nahas and another to Mitch Morton saw the Tigers draw level and Brown’s second put them four points ahead at the final change.
Scores were locked away for the opening 10 minutes of the thrilling last quarter, before two brilliant individual efforts set the stage for a Richmond upset.
Morton, who was dropped last week for failing to adhere to team structures, slotted a brilliant snap from the boundary.
Another cheeky shot from Trent Cotchin, in his first game of the season, saw the Tigers streak 16 points clear.
The Power appeared shot, but rallied to muster another effort.
Boak and Chad Cornes ignited the home side with two quick goals but Troy Chaplin, who marked in the goal square, missed a golden opportunity to snatch back the lead.
Danyle Pearce also failed to put the Power back in front and Nahas made him pay at the other end.
The gutsy Tiger bounced to his feet after being brought down in a tackle and snapped over his head to extend the lead.
But a Daniel Motlop soccer and some typically brilliant play from Tredrea brought Port Adelaide home.
Tredrea marked and slotted through his seventh to recapture the lead and then floated back to take a game saving mark in Richmond’s forward 50 to seal a memorable win.
Port Adelaide will now prepare to take on the Swans while the desperately unlucky Richmond will host Essendon at the MCG.
Port Adelaide 5.4 7.8 10.13 14.18 (102)
Richmond 4.1 5.2 12.5 15.9 (99)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Tredrea 7, Gray, Ebert, Pearce, Cassisi, Boak, C Cornes, Motlop
Richmond: Nahas 5, Brown, Morton 2, Simmonds, Foley, Tambling, Pettifer, Collins, Cotchin
BEST
Port Adelaide: Tredrea, Boak, Cassisi, Chaplin, Surjan, Pearce
Richmond: Nahas, Coughlan, Cousins, Tuck, Jackson, Brown
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Richmond: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Avon, Meredith, Keating
Official crowd: 22,034 at AAMI Stadium
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or the clubs.
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