LESS than a week after smashing the Eagles in Perth, the Tigers repelled a surging Essendon at the MCG to stay in contention for the final eight.

The Tigers were down by a couple of goals in the third after the brave Bombers – who had been reduced to just one man on the bench – kicked six unanswered goals, but a late major to Cleve Hughes and then three to Nathan Brown in the last got them over the line.

Assistant coach Brian Royal –sitting in at the post-match media conference for senior coach Terry Wallace who had been in hospital with a respiratory infection for part of the week – said he was thrilled by the win.

"It was a terrific effort to get over the line, particularly under the circumstances of the week, with Terry and also coming back from Perth with a six-day turnaround.

"To be able to come back, after what was quite a significant run on from Essendon and eventually get across the line," he said

Once again, inconsistency was a theme in the game, with the Tigers abandoning their successful long-kicking, fast-moving gameplan of the first half in the third term. Richmond had more possessions in the term but was outscored six goals to one as the Dons turned a 24-point deficit into a four-point lead.

Royal denied that it was a particular issue in third terms for the Tigers.

"I don't know whether it's just the third quarter in isolation. There's no doubt one of our problems this year has been putting four quarter performances together.

"Games early on in the season against Collingwood and the Kangaroos where we started the games well but faded, so I don't think it's just the third quarter."

Royal denied that the Tigers were actively hunting a finals place.

"At the moment we're probably not looking that far ahead.

"We've got Brisbane next week, and we've just got to keep knocking them over.

"Whether that becomes a finals appearance, we don't know – we can only control our own destiny by beating the teams who are coming up week-in, week-out."