RICHMOND has delivered Ben Cousins a dream homecoming and coach Terry Wallace a fitting tribute, winning a stunning clash with Fremantle by three points at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night.

Fremantle led by five points deep into the last quarter, only for Tiger Mitch Morton – maligned for his late effort in the round-eight loss to Port Adelaide – to snatch the advantage for a 17.13 (115) to 17.10 (112) victory.

Ahead of Wallace's 500th match as a player and coach and Richmond's second win of the season, scrutiny on the club had intensified again.

And it would have worsened if the Tigers, 33 points ahead at the 21-minute mark of an eight-goal third quarter, had stumbled.

Injury-ravaged Fremantle showed tremendous spirit to fight back but no-one on the ground contributed more than Tiger Brett Deledio, who had 26 disposals, 10 marks and a game-high seven inside 50s.

His goal 14 minutes into the final term was a crucial blow to Freo after it had kicked three goals on the trot.

Richard Tambling (28 disposals), Shane Tuck (30), captain Chris Newman (24) and Andrew Collins (24) were other key performers for the Tigers, while Cousins' return was supreme.

A one-fingered salute to a TV camera aside, the former Eagle was hard to fault in gathering 25 possessions – 20 in the second half – and had a big hand in his side's surge.

Fremantle had lost first-year player Stephen Hill to a cork while the nights of Des Headland (quad) and Luke McPharlin (hip) were also ended soon after half time.

Yet the home side was well represented by Garrick Ibbotson (25 disposals), Paul Duffield (27), Greg Broughton (23) and Paul Hasleby (27).

Ruckman Aaron Sandilands, dominant for periods and quiet in others, finished with a monster 45 hit-outs.

Ever the strategist, Wallace employed an aggressive flood in the first quarter, but a 10-goal term eventuated as Sandilands, Matthew Pavlich and Headland kicked two goals each for Freo.

Sandilands pushed forward for the first and loitered there for much of the quarter when he wasn't contesting the centre bounces.

Headland kicked his first after taking a spectacular mark with a foot on Tiger Dean Polo's back while Newman, Nathan Foley and Jack Riewoldt kept the visitors in touch.

But it was Cousins the crowd saved their biggest jeer for when he booted a goal with his first touch 12 minutes in.

Things slowed down significantly in the second when injuries started to set in.

Matt White left the ground for the Tigers with a hamstring injury while Deledio played through a hand ailment.

Among the carnage, Riewoldt converted his set shot, while Michael Johnson and Scott Thornton kicked goals to send Freo into the main break 14 points clear.

But the Tigers came out hard in the third and went on to kick eight straight.

Chris Tarrant had got the better of him in the first half, but Nathan Brown lit up for two in four minutes, while Robin Nahas, Tuck, Trent Cotchin, Morton and even defender Luke McGuane combined in a dominant display.

It took draftee Nic Suban to break the run with a booming left foot kick from 50m out.

Sent forward, Tarrant and David Mundy went back-to-back against the run of play and with the difference 15 points, the final quarter was set up.

Tambling burst out of the blocks and kicked the Tigers out to a 21-point lead, but Freo added the next three through Tarrant, Duffield and Hasleby.

After a reply from Deledio, who had done all he could and more, Troy Simmonds found another for the visitors and Morton and Brown both missed set shots that could have made things near impossible for Freo.

With the door left open, Fremantle went on to boot the next three through Thornton, Brett Peake and then Johnson, who was sprawled in the goal square but nudged the ball over for the five-point lead.

Twenty-nine minutes had elapsed when down the other end, Morton marked, played on and saw the Tigers home.

Fremantle     6.2   8.5   11.6   17.10 (112)
Richmond     4.3   5.9   13.9   17.13 (115)

GOALS
Fremantle: Pavlich 2, Tarrant 2, Sandilands 2, Headland 2, Johnson 2, Thornton 2, Duffield, Hasleby, Mundy, Peake, Suban
Richmond: Deledio 2, Riewoldt 2, Morton 2, Brown 2, Tuck, Tambling, Foley, Cousins, Newman, Cotchin, Nahas, McGuane, Simmonds

BEST
Fremantle: Ibbotson, Tarrant, Duffield, Sandilands, Broughton, Hasleby, Schammer
Richmond: Deledio, Tambling, Tuck, Cousins, Jackson, Newman, Collins

INJURIES
Fremantle: Hill (cork), Headland (quad), McPharlin (hip), Johnson (ankle), Hasleby (cork)
Richmond: White (hamstring), Deledio (hand)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Stevic, Dalgleish, Wenn

Official crowd: 35,391 at Subiaco Oval

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