Inspired by its pin-up boys, Richmond put a week of off-field woe behind it with a crushing 40-point win over a dismal Collingwood in the AFL season opener at the MCG.

New recruit Nathan Brown and enigmatic forward Matthew Richardson were the heroes for the Tigers as they cruised home to an upset 14.13 (97) to 8.9 (57) win.

The Magpies winless pre-season had been overlooked by many who expected the 2002 and 2003 grand finalists to flick the switch for the start of the premiership campaign, but the Pies were very disappointing.

The absence of suspended key forward Anthony Rocca proved as important as it did in last year's grand final flogging, with the Pies forced to play resting ruckmen at centre-half-forward and then defender Jason Cloke, with predictably poor results.

The win was a timely fillip for the Tigers, who had endured a tempestuous off-season, which escalated with the resignation of three directors in the past fortnight amid reports of a creeping financial crisis.

The morale of maligned Tigers coach Danny Frawley would also be lifted, after a summer of discontent when ousted football director Tony Jewell attacked his capabilities and self-belief.

The Tigers looked eager to put the off-season difficulties behind them, playing a physical and more direct brand of football against a Magpies side that was paying the price for the interrupted preparation of several experienced players.

Collingwood had the perfect start, goalling through captain Nathan Buckley from the game's first forward thrust, but Richmond took over from there on, with a nine-point quarter-time lead not representing good value for their dominance.

Richmond went out to a 28-point lead in the early part of the second quarter, with Brown racking up possessions at will along with fellow midfielders Mark Coughlan and Kane Johnson.

The Magpies, with Nathan Buckley forced back to set up play, did kick two of the final three goals of the second term to close within 22 points to give themselves hope of a second-half rally.

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