RICHMOND 4.2 8.7 9.9 17.12 (114)
GOLD COAST 3.2 6.3 11.7 15.7 (97)
Goals: Richmond: Deledio 3, Edwards 3, Griffiths 2, Martin 2, Lloyd 2, Riewoldt, Lambert, Hampson, Cotchin, Vickery. Gold Coast: Lynch 4, Wright 2, Davis 2, Sexton, Ablett, Harbrow, Rosa, Day, May, Nicholls.
Umpires: McInerney, Margetts, Deboy.
Best: Richmond: Martin, Cotchin, Edwards, Griffiths, Deledio, Grigg, Rance. Gold Coast: Lynch, Ablett, Rischitelli, Day, May, Harbrow.
Official Crowd: 30,448 at MCG.
Whatever becomes of Richmond's shaky season, the Tigers can at least say they've treated their fans to some heart-stopping finishes.
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Richmond recorded a 17-point win over the Gold Coast on Sunday afternoon.
Richmond have won just five games in 2016. Three have featured final-quarter MCG comebacks.
The round one thriller against Carlton and Sam Lloyd's after-the-siren winner in round eight against Sydney have been joined by Sunday's spirited escape against a Gold Coast team who belied the trend of their season to provide Damien Hardwick one hell of a scare.
Fifteen points down at the 11-minute mark of the last quarter, Richmond looked set for the most humiliating of all their losses this year.
But just as they did against the Blues and Swans, the Tigers found a way. Goals in quick succession to Kane Lambert, Shane Edwards and Shaun Hampson brought the Richmond fans to their feet.
Tom Nicholls steered through a set shot from 25 metres at the 22-minute mark, again putting the Suns in front. But Dustin Martin capped off a brilliant afternoon, taking a crucial contested mark before delivering to Lloyd who again gave Richmond the lead. Martin and Jack Riewoldt added late goals to seal a 17-point win, one that will keep the doomsayers away from Punt Road for at least a fortnight – as the Tigers head to their bye.
For all Richmond's tumult in 2016, a home defeat to a side that had lost their last eight games by an average of more than 11 goals would have been easily their lowest ebb.
Hardwick had insisted after last week's loss to North Melbourne that his side's season was still alive, but surely no such assertion could have been made if they lost.
At half-time Richmond looked to have withstood Gold Coast's best efforts.
Despite having 52 more first-quarter disposals than Gold Coast, the Tigers led by just a goal at the first break. In no small part was this due to the Suns' tall forwards.
With Tom Lynch keeping Alex Rance accountable, Peter Wright made good use of his eight centimetre height advantage over David Astbury to cause trouble for the Tigers.
Swingman Sam Day was in the mix too, while Steven May drifted forward to kick just his second goal since mid-2013.
Lynch, Alex Sexton and Ryan Davis all put through majors inside the first 10 minutes of the second term, giving the Suns an 11-point lead.
Enter Martin. With frustrations growing around the MCG crowd, he kickstarted his sleepy side by goaling on the run.
The stars soon aligned for Richmond, as Trent Cotchin and Brett Deledio followed suit. Then with half time beckoning, Ty Vickery – whose row of stats was barren at quarter-time – took his second contested mark in a matter of minutes. He goaled, and stretched the Tiger lead to 16 points.
The previous two months' evidence pointed to the Suns falling away from that point. But upon return from the rooms, it was Gold Coast who made the running.
A lengthy interruption caused by a concussion to 50-gamer Kade Kolodjashnij failed to halt his side. With little warning Rodney Eade's men started to dominate both possession and territory, kicking four goals to nil to start the third term.
Gary Ablett has had plenty of games in which he's had more than 24 disposals. But it was his intensity without the ball that should silence his detractors – at least for now. The dual Brownlow medallist had 12 tackles, leading the way right from the start.
It was notable from the outset that the Suns would make Richmond work for it. They did much more than that.
RICHMOND v GOLD COAST
Votes
Martin (Rich) 9
Lynch (GC) 8
Ablett GC 7
Cotchin (Rich) 6
Edwards (Rich) 6
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