Richmond has snapped Fremantle's nine-game winning streak, using a blistering first-half assault and holding on late to down the Freo Dockers by 27 points at Domain Stadium on Friday night.
The Tigers produced a staggering eight-goal opening term to set up their fourth straight victory, running out 15.7 (97) to 10.10 (70) victors in front of 38,019 predominantly shell-shocked fans.
Richmond won its fourth straight match and improved to 6-4 for the season, while Fremantle (9-1) missed the opportunity to win 10 straight matches for the first time in its history.
Ross Lyon post-match Q & A
The victory was Richmond's first over the Freo Dockers at Domain Stadium since 2009, and was its ninth straight over non-Victorian sides.
The Tigers' win was built on ball movement. They got clubbed in the clearances (36-51) and contested possessions (127-145), but they controlled the football with 216 uncontested possessions and 94 marks.
Freo are the number three uncontested team and number one marking team in the AFL, but for this night at least, were beaten soundly at their own game.
"They were very, very good," Dockers coach Ross Lyon said.
"They run the ball well, used the ball well, made us defend. Quite simply they just scored every time they went in; every time we went in, we didn't score. It was really simple.
"There wasn't a lot of pressure in our front half. It just highlights how good league teams can be if you don't compete in the manner that you need to in pressure."
Dustin Martin was outstanding for the Tigers gathering 34 touches and kicking a goal. Brandon Ellis had 26 possessions and kicked a goal, while Ty Vickery booted three.
The Tigers' defensive unit, led by Alex Rance, Troy Chaplin and Bachar Houli, were impenetrable as well providing great rebound.
The Freo Dockers left it too late, and to too few. Lachie Neale (28 disposals) and Nat Fyfe (26) had 20 clearances between them courtesy of Aaron Sandilands' AFL record 23 hit-outs to advantage, but the big man's dominance didn't amount to scores.
Michael Walters kicked three goals and Hayden Crozier two, but Matthew Pavlich was held goalless by Rance.
The win was set up by a quite extraordinary first term by the Tigers. Fremantle had conceded just 62 points per game in the opening nine rounds of the season, but Richmond already had eight goals at quarter-time.
It was the first time Fremantle has conceded eight goals in an opening quarter under Ross Lyon, and it was only the second time any team coached by Lyon had conceded eight goals in an opening term.
In its opening-term avalanche, the Tigers kicked at 78 per cent for the quarter compared to Fremantle's 64 per cent, and scored seven goals from their first eight inside 50s.
Adding injury to the insult of a 30-point quarter-time deficit, Michael Johnson was subbed out in the first term after injuring his right hamstring in his 200th game.
Fremantle continued to dominate the clearances in the second term, but Richmond kept piling on the goals, scampering away to a 49-point win late in the quarter.
The Tigers maintained their incredible kicking standards, while Houli, Taylor Hunt and Nick Vlastuin provided run and carry from defensive 50. Martin was electric through the middle and up forward with 17 touches and goal. Jack Riewoldt kicked two goals for the term and set a high standard with his chasing and harassing.
The Tigers led by 43 points at half time, but the Freo Dockers kept the visitors to a single goal in the third term as the tide turned.
Fyfe had 11 touches for the term and Neale nine, and Freo kicked the last three goals of the term through Crozier, Walters and Michael Barlow to cut the margin to 29 points at three-quarter time, sparking hopes of an unlikely upset.
The Freo Dockers threatened in the last but couldn't get any closer than 20 points, Vickery's third goal at the 26-minute mark sealing a famous win in the west.
FREMANTLE 3.1 5.2 8.5 10.10 (70)
RICHMOND 8.1 12.3 13.4 15.7 (97)
GOALS
Fremantle: Walters 3, Crozier 2, Fyfe, Barlow, Ballantyne, Taberner, Sandilands
Richmond: Vickery 3, Deledio 2, Riewoldt 2, Griffiths 2, Martin, B. Ellis, C. Ellis, Grigg, Morris, Edwards
BEST
Fremantle: Fyfe, Neale, Barlow, Sandilands, Walters, Mundy
Richmond: Martin, B. Ellis, Edwards, Cotchin, Houli, Grigg
INJURIES
Fremantle: Spurr (corked leg) replaced in selected side by Hayden Crozier, Johnson (hamstring)
Richmond: TBA
SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: Hayden Crozier replaced Michael Johnson during the first quarter
Richmond: Connor Menadue replaced Corey Ellis during the last quarter
Reports: TBA
Umpires: Margetts, Rosebury, Mollison
Official crowd: 38,019 at the Domain Stadium
