CARLTON has spoiled Richmond's centenary celebrations, overrunning the Tigers in front of 73,503 at the MCG.
The Blues slammed on 7.4 in the final quarter while keeping Richmond goalless until time added on, turning a one-point deficit at three-quarter time into a five-goal win, 17.16 (118) to 12.16 (88).
Brendan Fevola battled Kelvin Moore all day after Will Thursfield was a late withdrawal, firing up in the last term to kick four goals and move within seven goals of Lance Franklin in the Coleman Medal race.
But stand-in skipper Nick Stevens was the hero, calling the shots as the Blues wrestled for midfield control in the third term and then ran rampant in the fourth quarter. Stevens finished with 26 touches and 10 tackles in Chris Judd's absence, while Heath Scotland (24 possessions), Andrew Carrazzo (29) and Adam Bentick (25) were also important.
The news is likely to get worse for the Tigers, with Matthew Richardson leaving the ground with a possible hamstring injury late in the match.
Joel Bowden was again prominent with a game-high 32 touches, as were Brett Deledio (30) and Nathan Foley (26), while Mitch Morton and Cleve Hughes each booted three goals.
The match took a while to warm up, with just nine behinds in a forgettable 15 minutes, but once both sides had found their feet a close contest looked likely.
The Tigers led at each change but the Blues led in every quarter, and the margin never exceeded three goals until Carlton ran away in the final term.
Deledio kicked a goal after the siren to open up an eight-point quarter-time lead for Richmond, and the intensity lifted in the second quarter, with Richmond benefitting. Hughes, matched up by Setanta O’hAilpin, was the major threat up forward and booted three goals as the Tigers – playing in unfamiliar black and yellow stripes to celebrate their centenary in the VFL/AFL – got away to an 18-point lead.
However, just as the situation was starting to look grim, the Blues battled back with a three-goal burst to take the lead.
But despite Fevola breaking free for his opening two goals, the Tigers finished strongly, with Hughes’ third on the siren seeing Carlton trail by 12 points.
The contest came to life in the second half, with the Blues charging back into the lead with the first three goals of the third quarter.
Stevens, Scotland, Bentick and Carrazzo all lifted around the stoppages, with forward pressure now a feature.
Richmond fired back through Richardson and Morton, but when Cameron Cloke scored his only goal – having been moved to full-forward while Fevola had a spell – it was Carlton by a point.
The contest was evenly poised, but after two rushed behinds to the Tigers to start the last quarter, the Blues fired off a withering salvo that clinched the points.
Richmond 2.7 7.9 10.13 12.16 (88)
Carlton 1.5 5.9 10.12 17.16 (118)
GOALS
Richmond: Hughes 3, Morton 3, Richardson, Johnson, Deledio, Riewoldt, Simmonds, Polak.
Carlton: Fevola 4, Gibbs 3, Fisher 2, Betts 2, Murphy, Wiggins, Edwards, Cloke, Stevens, Grigg.
BEST
Richmond: Deledio, Bowden, Polo, Foley, Moore, Simmonds, McMahon.
Carlton: Stevens, Carrazzo, Waite, Scotland, Bentick, Gibbs, Thornton.
INJURIES
Richmond: Richardson (hamstring), Thursfield (hamstring) replaced in selected side by Jake King.
Carlton: Judd (concussion) replaced in selected side by Joe Anderson.
REPORTS
Richmond: Jake King reported for wrestling Bret Thornton by emergency umpire Matt Stevic in the third quarter
Carlton: Bret Thornton reported for wrestling Jake King by emergency umpire Matt Stevic in the third quarter
Umpires: Rosebury, Kamolins, Wenn
Official crowd: 73,503 at MCG
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL.
