St Kilda has regained top spot on the ladder after stretching its club-record winning streak to 13 with a thumping 56-point victory over Richmond at Etihad Stadium on Sunday evening.
After trailing by 14 points at the 13-minute mark of the first quarter, the Saints piled on 11 consecutive goals to embarrass Richmond 13.14 (92) to 5.6 (36).
Richmond was held scoreless for 77 minutes of playing time, including the middle two quarters.
The fact that the Tigers could not score for such a long period despite playing in pristine conditions under a closed roof at Etihad Stadium spoke volumes of how insipid they were.
The only sour note for St Kilda was veteran defender Max Hudghton straining a ligament in his right ankle.
The 32-year-old returned to the field of play despite being stretchered off the ground after writhing in agony on the wing in the first quarter, but succumbed to the pain and went back to the rooms in the third.
The Saints weren’t overly impressive but their performance was inflated by a listless Richmond which has gone backwards at a rate of knots since pushing St Kilda to three points in Round 7 last year.
Brendon Goddard best exemplified the grand canyon in class and skill between the two sides, owning the middle part of the ground with 35 touches, five inside 50s and a goal.
Jason Gram was superb with 34 disposals and eight inside 50s while Nick Dal Santo (26), Justin Koschitzke (eight marks, five goals) Luke Ball (25 touches) and Lenny Hayes (24) ensured yet another dark chapter in the history of the Richmond Football Club.
However, for the first 30 minutes, it looked as though the upset of the season was on the cards.
Richmond burst out of the blocks to reduce St Kilda to its first goalless quarter of the season.
Alex Rance was keeping Dal Santo quiet, debutant Jarrod Silvester and Luke McGuane had the measure of Koschitzke and Nick Riewoldt respectively and St Kilda’s other midfield stars in Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna and Luke Ball were being outshone by their counterparts Shane Tuck, Nathan Foley and Daniel Jackson.
For a brief period, life was peachy for Richmond caretaker Jade Rawlings.
But it didn’t take long for the huge gulf on the ladder between these two sides to finally be translated out on the park.
The Saints piled on five unanswered goals in the second term as they wrested control in all areas of the field to keep the Tigers to the first of their scoreless quarters.
Goddard, Dal Santo, Hayes and Gram broke the shackles while Riewoldt and Koschitzke asserted themselves in attack.
In the final three quarters, St Kilda had a staggering 44 inside 50s to 17 and Richmond recorded 27 for the match – a season-low for all teams.
The confident, enthusiastic Richmond outfit from the first term was swiftly replaced by the Tigers of old. They fumbled marks, missed targets and refused to back themselves.
While Rawlings will be hoping that dramatic transformation won’t last the remainder of the season, he must be wondering what he has got himself into.
ST KILDA: 0.3, 5.5, 11.9, 13.14 (92)
RICHMOND: 2.3, 2.3, 2.3, 5.6 (36)
GOALS: St Kilda: Koschitzke 5, Riewoldt 2, Dal Santo, Ball, Goddard, McQualter, Geary, Schneider
Richmond: Morton 2, Riewoldt, Cousins, Hislop
BEST: St Kilda: Goddard, Dal Santo, Gram, Koschitzke, Dawson, Ball, Hayes
Richmond: Foley, Tuck
INJURIES: St Kilda: Hudghton (ankle)
Richmond: McGuane (leg)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Andrew Collins replaced in Richmond’s selected side by Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls (illness)
UMPIRES: Grun, Kamolins, Avon
CROWD: 38,196 at Etihad Stadium