DUSTIN Martin is back in business, Tom Lynch is back to his dominant best and Richmond is back in the eight after a blue-collar performance against Collingwood at the MCG reminded the competition of the sleeping giant lurking in the shadows.

The Tigers lost two of their most important players – Dion Prestia and Nick Vlastuin – to illness on Friday afternoon, but were rarely challenged in the traditional Saturday afternoon timeslot between two traditional rivals. 

TIGERS v MAGPIES Full match coverage and stats

Damien Hardwick's side has now levelled the ledger at 4-4 after brushing aside a disappointing black and white outfit to record a 17.11 (113) to 12.14 (86) win. 

The Magpies only remained within striking distance in the first half due to Richmond's wastefulness in front of goal, before kicking four goals in a row late in the game after Richmond led by 47 points early in the fourth quarter.

It was all about Martin in the build-up with the superstar midfielder returning for the first time since taking personal leave in round one – and just the second time since suffering a lacerated kidney on the Gold Coast in round 18 last season – but Lynch continued his resurgence to leapfrog Tom Hawkins to lead the Coleman Medal race.

After two injury-interrupted seasons, the Richmond star has re-emerged as one of the premier key forwards in the game across the past fortnight. Lynch booted 7.5 against West Coast in Perth last Friday night – the most scoring shots in a game this season – and then followed it up with another high output performance that could have proven even more damaging, given he missed a few chances. 

The 29-year-old booted 63 goals in his first season at Punt Road in 2019, but only managed 67 across two pandemic-affected seasons in 2020 and 2021. Right now, no one has kicked more goals than Lynch, who moved to 27 after booting 6.1 from 25 disposals and 11 marks on Saturday.

Martin gathered his first disposal five minutes in and every time he touched the ball it was met with a loud roar from the Richmond faithful. It took some time for him to get going, but before the end of the first quarter, Martin dished off a signature fend-off and the umpire chose not to spoil the occasion, given it was high. 

From there the 2017 Brownlow Medal winner blew out the cobwebs, producing a handful of dazzling displays that reminded the competition of his brilliance. A trademark snap around the body from the pocket in the last quarter put the finishing touches on a strong return, gathering 23 touches and two goals.

Collingwood kicked four goals late to improve the bottom line, but at the end of the day, it was too little, too late for the Magpies.

Big deal, big performance
With the ink still drying on the five-year deal he signed on Friday morning, Jayden Short put a full stop on a momentous week for the gamebreaker. The 26-year-old burst out the blocks at the MCG and celebrated a big week in style, amassing 27 disposals, six inside 50s and 708 metres gained. The 2020 Jack Dyer Medal winner has established himself as one of Richmond's most damaging players across the past 24 months.

Flu-hit trio fight on
Last week it was gastro, this week it was the man flu. Craig McRae has been dealt a tough hand across the past fortnight. Brayden Maynard, Nick Daicos and Taylor Adams entered the game after missing training during the week due to illness. Daicos continued his great start to his career, finishing with 25 disposals and 418 metres gained, while Adams had a crack as always, collecting 29 touches. 

Ginnivan in the thick of it again
Not many players have generated as much discussion as Jack Ginnivan across the first two months of the season. From GoPro-gate to the peroxide blond hair, the Anzac Day Medal-winning performance and the aftermath that saw the leadership group remind him of team rules, Ginnivan is a walking headline. The teenager was targeted by Richmond from the opening bounce and copped an elbow to the head from Rhyan Mansell which should attract attention from the MRO. Ginnivan found a way to make an impact after a slow start, finishing with three majors to cause headaches for the Tigers. He now has 17 on the board from seven games, big numbers from a small forward.

RICHMOND         3.3       9.7       13.10       17.11 (113)
COLLINGWOOD        2.3      5.7       8.11     12.14 (86)

GOALS  
Richmond: Lynch 6, Martin 2, Riewoldt 2, Bolton 2, Castagna, Cotchin, Lambert, Pickett
Collingwood:  Ginnivan 3, Mihocek 2, Hoskin-Elliott 2, Henry 2, Crisp, Adams, McCreery

BEST   
Richmond: Lynch, Short, Graham, Cotchin, Bolton, Nankervis, Balta, Martin 
Collingwood:  Crisp, Adams, Lipinski, N. Daicos, Cameron, Pendlebury, Ginnivan

INJURIES  
Richmond: Nil   
Collingwood: Quaynor (finger)

SUBSTITUTES  
Richmond: Sydney Stack (unused)
Collingwood: Jack Madgen (unused)

Crowd: 64,481 at the MCG