RICHMOND is gearing up for September in style, obliterating Greater Western Sydney by 121 points in a disappointing penultimate AFL match for Giants coach Kevin Sheedy.
Eleven goals to one point in the second term put the Tigers on the path to a 25.13 (163) to 6.6 (42) victory that elevates them back above Collingwood and Essendon and into fifth place on the AFL ladder.
The subsequent percentage boost means Richmond is likely to sew up a home final for its first post-season appearance in 12 years if it can knock off the Bombers at the MCG next Saturday night.
Naturally for such a one-sided afternoon, the Tigers had winners all over the ground, led by Reece Conca, Dustin Martin and Shaun Grigg, while Aaron Edwards (five goals) was among 12 Richmond goalkickers.
Afterwards, coach Damien Hardwick didn't believe the manner of the victory would be any impediment as the Tigers prepare to face Essendon next week.
"Funnily enough the contested ball stuff was actually pretty good and there's not too much disparity," he said.
"They were tough, they came at us hard, especially in the third quarter, we were a little bit disappointed with that quarter.
"But we were able to get it back to the result we required in the last."
Taylor Adams, Tom Scully and Dylan Shiel had the odd highlight for the home side, but it was a record-breaking day for the Tigers.
An 80-point half-time lead was the club's highest since building a 107-point advantage over North Melbourne in round two, 1931.
That match also marked club legend Jack Dyer's first for the club.
The 11.5 kicked in the second term was Richmond's highest-scoring quarter since producing 11.7(73) in Fitzroy's final ever game in 1996 and the equal-sixth highest score in any quarter in Tiger history.
Current leader Jarryd Roughead is firming as this year's likely Coleman medallist, with GWS spearhead Jeremy Cameron totally blanketed by Alex Rance, managing just one effort out on the full in the game's first minute.
That leaves him stuck on 60 goals ahead of next week's trip to the Gold Coast, while Jack Riewoldt kicked one on Saturday to move to 57 for the year.
After Sheedy entered the field via a guard of honour and a pyrotechnic display for his final home match after almost 50 years and seven premierships as a player and coach, the two teams had a competitive opening term.
GWS kicked the game's first goal through debutant Kristian Jaksch, but Richmond kicked four of the next five until Liam Sumner's late effort made it a 10-point game at quarter-time.
As competitive as the first quarter was, however, the second was about as one-sided as it gets.
Edwards kicked two goals in the opening five minutes, sparking an absolute avalanche that didn't let up for the rest of the term.
From that point on the record books were the Tigers' only opponents in a meek final home match for the Giants in 2013, who also lost Sumner to a suspected Achilles tendon injury.
The 12,314 in attendance also marked a Skoda Stadium record.
Sheedy departs the coaching caper after GWS' trip to the Gold Coast next week hoping to pick up the 390th victory of his career and fourth as a Giant.
"We started a club. That's important and doesn’t often happen in a person's lifetime, particularly in NSW.
"It's the first club that was started in NSW. It's not ex-Victorian. It's a very important point that.
"It's one of the best things I've done in my life, there's no doubt about that.
"To have our best crowd today, we're not a good footy team yet, we've got so much to learn … in the next three-to-five years you won't get in the stadium.
"It'll be sold out."
Tiger Jake King tries to break free during Sunday's clash with GWS. Photo: AFL Media
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 3.0 3.1 6.4 6.6 (42)
RICHMOND 4.4 15.9 19.10 25.13 (163)
GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Jaksch, Greene, Sumner, Shiel, Scully, Adams
Richmond: A.Edwards 5, Conca 3, Ellis 3, Vickery 2, Houli 2, Grigg 2, Maric 2, Petterd 2, Morris, Riewoldt, S.Edwards, King
BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Adams, Scully, Shiel, Tomlinson
Richmond: Martin, Conca, Grigg, Houli, Maric, Edwards, Rance, Chaplin, Vickery
INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: Liam Sumner (Achilles)
Richmond: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Greater Western Sydney: Liam Sumner (Achilles) substituted off for Dom Tyson at half-time
Richmond: Trent Cotchin substituted out for Nathan Foley during the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Burgess, Wenn, Ryan
Official crowd: 12,314 at Skoda Stadium
