THE loser of this match was always going to feel sick and the winner not so much euphoric as relieved. And, not for the first time, there was more riding on the result for Richmond.

The Tigers were favourites for a wooden-spoon repeat that would end their coach's tenure, and no matter how much Terry Wallace or Greg Miller spruiked about the young list, there was widespread external pessimism about their prospects in 2008. From most prognostications, they would do well to finish 13th.

Carlton, meanwhile, had, via the acquisition of the game's premier player, seemingly lifted itself from a six-year dark age in one summer. The Blues had another No. 1 draft pick, Richard Pratt's financial fortress, a decent administration and a sense of optimism that contrasted with the gloom — admittedly much of it external — about Richmond.

Last night, the perceptions of pre-season — Carlton is back, the Tigers are stuck in the doghouse — were rendered irrelevant, quite possibly incorrect and definitely premature.

For the first time in a while, Carlton was actually shattered by a loss. No tanks this time.

The Blues have a capable midfield, boasting an underdone Chris Judd, a not-quite-right Nick Stevens and some very promising kids, headed by Marc Murphy, but there is precious little down back and, without Brad Fisher, even less in the way of marking targets, outside the highly eccentric and less-than-bankable Brendan Fevola.

Richmond had a more viable and complete structure: Joel Bowden, Graham Polak and an improving Will Thursfield down back, Richo and Brett Deledio up front, supported by Nathan Brown, Troy Simmonds in the ruck. The Tigers had size where it counted.

Did the Fevola and Tony Liberatore imbroglios distract the Blues last night? To even pose the question is to deprive Richmond of its deserved credit. The Tigers were not polished. They were not brilliant. But, they played, in Tommy Hafey's word, "Tigerish" football. They fought and fought and won.

Trailing by 25 points in the middle of the second quarter, the Tigers just gradually wore Carlton down, running harder late in each quarter. If the midfield names were less impressive — Nathan Foley, Shane Tuck, Jake King and Kane Johnson aren't the fab four — they ran harder.

Carlton officials would later mutter that the Blues had run out of legs. Sometimes, this means you've run out of players.

Richmond actually won the stoppages, and the hard-balls, more than neutralising a Carlton strength. But the player who most shaped this contest was not one of the dozen rotating midfielders or runners.

Richmond has not won often enough during Matthew Richardson's 15-year reign as his club's champion, but what is also beyond dispute is that Richo, for all his flaws, has been responsible for a sizeable proportion of those infrequent victories.

For the umpteenth time in his 257-game career, Richardson was the central figure in the match. He finished with 5.2 — including the sealer — having earlier threatened to finish with a Richoesque 1.6 or 2.5 that would have been Richmond's ruin, and Wallace bunkering down for the fallout.

Fevola was unable to get away from Thursfield, who received more support from his defensive teammates than Fev did from his less-seasoned colleagues in the Carlton forward 50-metre arc. Fevola's green supporting cast consisted of Setanta O'hAilpin, who spent last season in defence, Adam Hartlett and Jake Edwards.

Carlton's second-quarter lead had been built on a quick burst of four unanswered goals, when Judd, Murphy, Simpson and co held sway and the Tigers temporarily revisited their 2007, especially with their foot skills. Even in victory, field kicking remains an issue for Richmond. Effort, though, was not. King and Richard Tambling personified the Tigers — their run and endeavour were flawless, and they contributed plenty, despite some shonky ball use.

Surprisingly, Judd was manned by Daniel Jackson, in what Wallace acknowledged was an admission "that Juddy was well and truly underdone".

The champ had two touches — a handball and a kick — within 10 seconds of the season's opening bounce. Thereafter, he was solid, playing at the about the level one would expect of a thoroughbred, first-up, following a limited preparation, finishing with 22 touches.

He will get better, and so will the Blues. They must.

Richo isn't getting any worse, all these years later. Last night, he was handed an appetising mismatch, on lightweight Carlton defender Michael Jamison, listed at 87 kilograms, compared with Richardson's 100-plus. Richo marked almost at will.

Two days after his 33rd birthday, he's still the difference when Richmond wins.

RICHMOND 4.3 8.5 11.5 17.7 (109) CARLTON 4.3 9.6 10.10 11.13 (79)
Goals: Richmond: M Richardson 5 N Brown 3 B Deledio 2 K Pettifer N Foley S Tuck A Pattison G Polak R Tambling D Jackson. Carlton: E Betts 2 B Fevola 2 H Scotland 2 N Stevens R Houlihan J Edwards S O'hAilpin M Murphy.
Best: Richmond: M Richardson J King N Foley K Johnson W Thursfield S Tuck J McMahon. Carlton: M Murphy B Thornton K Simpson N Stevens J Edwards C Judd.
Umpires: D Margetts S Meredith S McBurney.
Official crowd: 72,552 at MCG.