Richmond destroyed Port Adelaide's defence and at the same time what was left of the Power's AFL season today with an entertaining four-point victory at AAMI Stadium.

Spearheaded by confident youngsters Cleve Hughes (six goals) and Mitch Morton (five), the Tigers slammed through nine in the first term and narrowly held their advantage in the last when Port made a belated charge, winning 20.7 (127) to 19.9 (123).

Aside from Hughes and Morton, Richmond had willing midfield servants in Shane Tuck, Chris Newman and Nathan Foley, while Joel Bowden and Jordan McMahon directed traffic across half back.

Matthew Richardson kicked three goals and again had an influence up the ground.

Port's outstanding players were Domenic Cassisi in the middle and Daniel Motlop (six goals) up forward, but there were a number of others who will list the match as one of their more forgettable.

The pre-match talk of contested football and Port's desire in particular to continue in the hard-nosed, hard-headed fashion they had employed against Geelong, did not suggest a shootout was likely.

But in ideal conditions that is exactly what developed, as Port's alternating bursts of brilliance and ineptitude allowed Richmond to respond in kind with their own passages of free scoring.

Port kicked three of the first four goals but ultimately lost the first term badly, 9.1 to 6.2.

In the second they showed some desperation early to dissolve that deficit, before again going AWOL for five minutes late in the half to allow the Tigers three unanswered goals and a narrow lead at the main break.

The visitors carried on in that vein when the teams re-emerged, finding a dominant marking target not from Richardson but instead 21-year-old Hughes, a product of Lobethal in the Adelaide hills.

Playing in front and running out strongly, he fired through four goals for the term, and was instrumental as the Tigers sprinted to a 28-point advantage.

Searching for some kind of emotional stimulus, Power coach Mark Williams took his players to the outer side for some additional voice from supporters.

They were to show greater application in the last, cutting into the Tigers' lead, but without the speed or cleanness to swallow it all in time.

Richardson kicked one smart goal after marking over Chad Cornes and, though the afternoon had one final twist in the form of three unanswered Port goals, Richmond held nervously on.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP