Richmond thrashed Brisbane by 82 points as the Tigers relished the chance to be on the better side of an AFL belting for once.

After losing three games this season by more than 100 points, the Tigers dominated from the start at Telstra Dome and eventually won 21.16 (142) to 8.12 (60).

Key forward Matthew Richardson kicked six goals and took 11 marks in a commanding performance.

He had five goals to halftime and for much of the second term, the pro-Tigers crowd chanted "Richo, Richo".

Defender Patrick Bowden kicked the opening goal of the game and finished with 28 possessions.

A 100-point win beckoned for Richmond when it led by 93 points late in the last quarter, but the Lions kicked the last two goals to spare themselves that ignominy.

Richmond has not beaten a side by more than 100 points since 1996, when it handed now-defunct Fitzroy a 151-point hiding.

While it was a night out for the Tigers, the one-sided game underlined how quickly the Lions have slid from the all-powerful unit that won the 2001-03 premierships.

Brisbane, like Richmond, has suffered a bad run of injuries this year and the Lions team was almost unrecognisable from the much-feared combination during their time as the AFL's best team.

Incredibly, Richmond led by 80 points at half-time as the Lions could manage just one goal for the opening two quarters.

At halftime, the Tigers had 211 disposals and Brisbane had managed just 127.

Richmond's play in the first half often resembled a training drill as players frequently took uncontested marks deep in attack.

After going on a scoring splurge of 14 goals in the first half, there was no way Richmond could sustain that intensity for the whole game.

Brisbane defender Justin Sherman had a game-high 35 disposals, Tim Notting also stood out and Daniel Bradshaw kicked three goals.

It was a record winning margin for Richmond over the Lions and equalled its 1990 margin over the Brisbane Bears.

Tigers coach Terry Wallace admitted he sent the runner out during the last term, urging them to rack up a 100-point win.

"(But) I think we were just about spent," Wallace acknowledged.

"We would have loved to have wiped out one of our 100-point losses.

Wallace said Richardson was "right back to his best form" and bemoaned the key forward's hand injury mid-season.

"You really lose half the season," Wallace said.

"The unfortunate thing from Richo's point of view is he's just getting right when the season is over."

Wallace also praised captain Kane Johnson, who restricted Brownlow Medallist Simon Black to only 18 possessions despite suffering from the 'flu this week.

Losses to Melbourne, Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs so far this weekend mean the top-eight door seems to creak open again for Richmond.

The Tigers broke a four-game losing streak and are two games outside the top eight with three rounds left, but that does not concern Wallace.

"All we've been really speaking about for the whole time (this season) is our improvement as a football club," he said.

Lions coach Leigh Matthews said his side lost its competitiveness in the first half, but at least regained it after the main break.

They lost captain Michael Voss, Michael Rischitelli and Josh Drummond through injury for this game.

"We're just a bit thin (in personnel) and there's too much pressure on too few, too much pressure on the good players," he said.

"All-in-all, it was just a disaster, the first half ... at least our last quarter was probably our best.

"At least there was an element of hanging in there, that was admirable."

Matthews was hopeful Voss and Rischitelli would return for next Sunday's home game against in-form West Coast.

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