Richmond has won for only the second time this AFL season and dealt Collingwood's top-four aspirations a huge blow with a stirring 20-point victory at the MCG.

The Tigers defied their bottom-place status to produce an inspired first half and then prevented any late Collingwood challenge to win 18.8 (116) to 14.12 (96), sparking jubilation for a club which has endured a wretched season.

Brett Deledio produced a mighty game across half-forward for five goals, while Nathan Foley was already the clearance king before he charged out of the centre early in the last quarter and dobbed what proved the sealing goal.

Richmond's willingness to get the hard ball and run was so telling they racked up an extra 119 disposals - a quarter's worth - over the Magpies.

A malfunctioning PA system was the only thing to sour the night, as it prevented MCG officials playing Richmond's theme song after the final siren.

The fans made up for it at least, singing in full voice.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace said the win had been a long time coming and paid tribute to the club for holding strong in such a shocking season.

"We don't change ladder positions, it doesn't change our context at all," he said.

"What's it worth? I've got to give credit to the footy club.

"As much as we've been attacked, everyone has stayed really very, very strong and committed and that's right through from the board, the management, the playing group.

"Everyone's been really strong and solid in their resolve.

"There hasn't been one hint, inkling of a crack anywhere near the veneer of the playing group."

Malthouse was instead nursing a big headache as the massive result will leave his side a game and percentage out of the top four.

The Tigers were rewarded for their thrilling attack in the first half with an 11-goal first half and answered every Magpie challenge.

The Pies hit the front early in the third quarter through Paul Medhurst's snap, and it looked like Collingwood would lift, but instead it was Richmond who played like they had more at stake.

The Tigers kicked the next four goals to open a buffer by the last change and then snuffed out the contest with the first three goals of the last, as fans at the Punt Road end lapped it up.

Besides dominating possession, Richmond had winners everywhere.

Shane Tuck was also effective in heavy traffic, Joel Bowden continually ran off Anthony Rocca, Chris Newman mopped up everything across half-back and Graham Polak fired the Tigers pinch-hitting in attack with the first two goals.

Medhurst and Rocca both finished with three goals for Collingwood, whose best was again Tarkyn Lockyer.

Collingwood was banking on a good run home to cement a top-four spot and earn a double chance and would have eyed this fixture off as a percentage booster instead of an embarrassing loss.

The Magpies could still yet finish in the top four with winnable games against Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney to come, all in Melbourne.

Malthouse was bitterly disappointed with his side's performance and said while he didn't care for the ladder, admitted his side had plenty of work to do to land a top-four spot.

"I'm not making any predictions outside of next week, we can't afford to get too far ahead of ourselves," he said.

"We've got a massive game next week (against Melbourne), we've got three to go and we've done a lot of favours for a lot of sides and I wish we hadn't."

Malthouse admitted he had a lot of players out of form and could not find one winner among his 22.

"If it was Dale Thomas you're struggling," he said.

"Paul (Medhurst) did enough to suggest he would play next week but really, we didn't have a winner."

Collingwood looked flat for most of the game, and Malthouse admitted he would rest at least one player next week, although he ruled out an immediate return for captain Nathan Buckley.

Buckley was to play in the VFL this weekend but was rested for another week, and Malthouse said he would not risk his skipper after spending the season sidelined through hamstring injuries.

"We'd love to have Nathan Buckley playing," he said.

"But I'm not going to come up now and start to panic with Nathan while all along the medical staff have suggested he's got to be treated cautiously and then ram him straight into the middle for a senior game and then say 'Now, Nathan, play 70 or 80 per cent of the game'."

In a further blow for Collingwood, Ben Johnson was reported for striking Richmond's Daniel Jackson after the pair was booked for wrestling each other.

Wallace hoped the win would reinforce hope within Tiger fans that Richmond are headed in the right direction.

"We just hope that our people see that we are going in a direction and we are going to go in that direction no matter what anyone says about us," he said. Collingwood will stay in the eight by the completion of round 19, but coach Mick Malthouse would have banked on this as a win amid a tight race for the finals.

Malthouse also offered a veiled criticism towards Richmond for their inability to produce decent football for the vast majority of the season.

"If I was a Richmond supporter I'd be saying 'Fantastic result today, but hey, what about the other 16 weeks?'," he said.

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