RICHMOND 6.3 8.6 14.8 16.9 (105)
ESSENDON 3.1 6.2 8.3 10.7 (67)
Goals - Richmond: Deledio 3, Vickery 3, Riewoldt 2, Grigg 2, Lloyd 2, Cotchin 2, Griffiths, Edwards. Essendon: Parish 2, Daniher 2, Brown 2, Fantasia 2, Jamar, Crowley.
Best - Richmond: Martin, Deledio, Cotchin, Grigg, Edwards. Essendon: Zaharakis, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Parish, Goddard.
Umpires: Stevic, Ryan, Kamolins.
Crowd: 56,948 at MCG.
Richmond continued their slow climb back up the ladder on Saturday night, notching their third win a row, this time against Essendon.
For Essendon it was another honourable loss, one that showed they were as spirited as ever and playing better as a group but their overall skill level was still below par.
That the Tigers did not thrash the Bombers was due in part to the perseverance of the underdogs, but leaves a question mark over just how long their renaissance will last.
In front of 56,948, the game got off to an ominous start for the Bombers – just 30 seconds after the siren, tall forward Ben Griffiths took a contested overhead mark about 45 metres out and goaled.
Five minutes in Mark Baguley got a free kick in an almost identical position at the other end of the ground and missed badly, sending the ball out on the full.
It was nearly 10 minutes in before the Bombers scored a goal, off the boot of Mitch Brown, but they were still showing some real signs of improvement.
Instead of a loosely formed rag-tag group of not-quite-fit-enough older players and inexperienced youngsters, they began to look like a team.
Their line-up remained eclectic, but they showed signs they were learning to sense where their teammates were positioned and how to reach them – at least some of the time.
They came within seven points of Tigers minutes before the first break, but Richmond's Shaun Grigg and Brett Deledio kicked a goal apiece late to put them 20 points up.
The Bombers actually won the second quarter by four points, helped along by some poor kicking for goal by Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt.
The statistics showed the underdogs were getting the ball into their forward 50 almost as often as the Tigers, although when they got it there Richmond's defenders often outmuscled and outsmarted their forwards.
Richmond's superior skills really started to show after the main break.
Bomber Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti was typically good in defence, working relentlessly to mostly keep Tigers' young gun Daniel Rioli out of the game and putting their tall forwards on notice.
Quick and brave, the cult hero keeps providing Essendon fans with highlights in an otherwise difficult year.
But after Griffiths missed a goal from 45 out on a 45 degree angle, Sam Lloyd, Ty Vickery and Trent Cotchin booted three in quick succession.
Essendon were persistent, kicking a goal here and there, but Richmond went into the final change with a 41-point lead.
The Bombers did not give up – when Darcy Parish kicked the first goal of the final quarter, he celebrated as if it had put his team in front.
Joe Daniher booted the next one and had Brendon Goddard not missed a shot at goal Essendon could have almost clawed their way back into the game.
But the Bombers just did not have the savvy to string a chain of possessions together and Richmond were too often able to intercept any attempt they made at working the ball up the ground.
It was not exactly a blow-out in the end, a 38-point win to the Tigers that did not shed much light on exactly how good, or mediocre, Richmond will be in the second half of the year.
After a horror start to the 2016 season, they beat a highly rated Sydney by a point, then cleaned up lowly Fremantle and now Essendon.
They were focused and confident for the Dreamtime match and senior players including Dustin Martin, Cotchin, Deledio and Griggs stood up. Martin was named man of the match after collecting 38 disposals.
Now with four wins and six losses, they face a much sterner test against North Melbourne on Friday night in Tasmania.
The Bombers play Fremantle on Saturday and it may be their best opportunity to win a second match for the season, and the Dockers' chance for their first.