RICHMOND won its fifth match for the season and ended Port Adelaide's finals aspirations with a thrilling four-point win at AAMI Stadium.

The Power came home hard late in the final quarter, but fell agonisingly short, with the Tigers finishing on 20.7 (127) to 19.9 (123), leaving a devastated Power struggling on 4-9 after making last season's Grand Final.

The Tigers, on the other hand, will hold hopes of finals action themselves, having moved to a 5-7 win-loss record, with one draw.

Richmond led by 27 points five minutes into the final quarter, but was almost overrun in a frenzied finish to a free-scoring match.

Brett Ebert scored a goal in the second minute of the last term to give the Power some hope as they kicked with a stiff breeze at their backs, but Matthew Richardson quickly squared the ledger with his third goal after some clever work at half forward.

Tom Logan's first goal 11 minutes into the last quarter reduced the margin to 21 points, but the Tigers still appeared to have Port's measure and began to slow then tempo of the match.

It took another eight minutes for the next goal, a brilliant effort from Travis Boak deep in the left forward pocket, and when Daniel Motlop kicked his sixth from a mark on the edge of the goal square the Power had trimmed the margin to just nine points.

Logan's second goal with only a minute remaining set up a pulsating climax, but a strong mark to the outstanding Joel Bowden, who ended with 39 possessions and 23 marks, repelled the Power's last forward thrust.

Richardson kicked three goals for the Tigers and again had an influence up the ground. Port's outstanding players were Domenic Cassisi in the middle and Motlop, who continued his stellar season up forward, but there were a number of others who will list the match as among their more forgettable.

Chad Cornes was hampered by knee and leg injuries, while there were also injuries to Peter Burgoyne (hamstring and Steven Salopek (Achilles).

Richmond set up its win with a seven-goal third quarter, stretching its half time lead of three points to 28.

Relative unknowns Cleve Hughes (six goals from just seven kicks) and Mitch Morton (five) were dominant up forward for the Tigers.

Port squandered an early lead to fall three goals behind at quarter time, but outscored the Tigers five goals to three to narrow the margin by the main break.

In a free-flowing first term, Richmond twice fell 12 points behind, but poured on the goals late in the term – including four in five minutes – to lead by 17 points at the break.

RICHMOND       9.1  12.3  19.6  20.7 (127)
PORT ADELAIDE  6.2  11.6  14.8  19.9 (123)

Goals: Richmond: C Hughes 6 M Morton 5 M Richardson 3 N Brown 2 J Riewoldt T Cotchin J McMahon C Hyde. Port Adelaide: D Motlop 6 W Tredrea 2 B Ebert 2 T Logan 2 B Lade S Burgoyne D Rodan R Gray K Cornes T Chaplin T Boak.

Best: Richmond: J Bowden C Hughes S Tuck N Foley C Newman M Morton J McMahon. Port Adelaide: D Cassisi D Motlop D Rodan D Brogan W Tredrea.

Umpires: H Kennedy J Schmitt G Fila.

Official crowd: 20,923 at AAMI Stadium.