A DUSTIN Martin-inspired Richmond will enter the finals in the top four for the first time since 2001 as it bids to snap an agonising 37-year premiership drought. 

Damien Hardwick's Tigers were insatiable early on Sunday in avenging their worst performance of the year to blitz a St Kilda line-up that began the match with a slim chance of making finals. 

A loss would have dropped Richmond to sixth, but the 19.8 (122) to 12.9 (81) triumph over the Saints at the MCG instead locked up third spot. A rematch with Geelong beckons in a qualifying final, back at the home of Australian football.

Full match coverage and stats

Retiring St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt completed his brilliant 336-game career with 15 possessions and one goal. The 34-year-old was chaired from the ground by Josh Bruce and cousin Jack Riewoldt.

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"I'm really proud. It was a tough game against the Saints, who were possibly playing for a finals spot, and a champion of the game retiring as well," Hardwick said.

 "It was always going to be a tough ask, and I thought the boys handled themselves really well. We started well, which was pleasing. We've still got some areas of our game that are a little bit frustrating at times, but some of that was due to the Saints' good play as well.

 "We're really happy to have earned the double chance, which is great."

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Martin, the game's most coveted free agent, ended what will almost certainly be a Brownlow Medal-winning season with 36 disposals (14 contested) and seven inside-50s in his latest best-on-ground display.

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The superstar's two most important touches came inside the first five minutes of the final term. He firstly slotted a sparkling checkside goal, then moments later burst around opponents to slip a great pass to Jacob Townsend for another.

Townsend finished with five majors, after kicking six on his season debut a week earlier. 

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The black and yellow army, who made up the majority of the 69,104 crowd, rose to their feet to applaud Martin as he euphorically came to the bench. 

St Kilda's four-goal-to-one third quarter had cut the Tigers' lead to 25 points at the last break, after it had reached 50, before Martin's intervention put paid to the threat. 

All that is left now is for Richmond to finally win a final under Hardwick's leadership after three failed attempts. But Hardwick will have two chances this time to break his duck. 

Sunday's contest beared no resemblance to the Etihad Stadium massacre St Kilda inflicted on Richmond in round 16.

That night, the Tigers trailed by 82 points at half-time and 95 in the third term, prompting former Port star Kane Cornes to suggest they had "got ahead" of themselves.

Hardwick bristled at that critique, but did admit it was "good to get a wake-up call". His players' response was six wins from seven starts – the only loss by 14 points to the Cats in round 21. 

Richmond's pressure was immense in the opening stages, repeatedly forcing the rattled Saints sideways and backwards. It mattered little that St Kilda had more disposals, including the contested variety. 

The Tigers pounced at every opportunity in the first half. They dominated the tackle count 44-29, including David Astbury's monstrous effort on Jade Gresham that helped spear the ball forward for Trent Cotchin to goal.

Martin and Shaun Grigg were a class above and drove Richmond into attack at will, while surprise packet Townsend booted three first-half majors. Brandon Ellis and Bachar Houli also performed pivotal roles off half-back. 

To the Saints' credit, they rallied superbly in the third term via some of their prized youth. Jack Steele - who temporarily quelled Martin - Jack Billings, Jack Sinclair and Blake Acres were all prominent. 

They would have surged closer if not for Jack Lonie failing to make the distance from 30 metres, before Koby Stevens and Josh Bruce missed gettable set shots in the ensuing minutes. 

"We just weren't able to cope with Richmond's pressure," St Kilda coach Alan Richardson said.

"That's as much pressure as we've been under for a long time (and) I thought they were outstanding early … our inability compared to Richmond's at the coalface to be really strong and aggressive (was telling).

"The third quarter was positive and we were able to flip that a bit. I thought we hunted much more aggressively. (But) their better players probably had too big an influence on the game."

MEDICAL ROOM
Richmond: Daniel Rioli left the game briefly in the second quarter after a knock to the ribs, but played the match out.

St Kilda: The Saints got only 10 minutes out of skipper Jarryn Geary, who failed a concussion test after a collision with Tiger Jack Riewoldt. There was also a concern in the third quarter when Luke Dunstan came off with a right hamstring complaint.

RICHMOND      4.1    11.5   12.7   19.8 (122)
ST KILDA         1.2    4.3     9.9      12.9 (81)

GOALS
Richmond: Townsend 5, Riewoldt 3, Grigg 3, Prestia 2, Martin 2, Butler 2, Graham, Cotchin
St Kilda: Gresham 5, Billings 2, Membrey 2, Bruce, Riewoldt, Longer 

BEST 
Richmond: Martin, Grigg, Prestia, Cotchin, Townsend, Vlastuin, Nankervis, Houli
St Kilda: Steele, Gresham, Billings, Sinclair, Ross, Dunstan

INJURIES 
Richmond: Nil
St Kilda: Geary (concussion) 

Reports: Nil 

Umpires: Donlon, Nicholls, Hosking 

Official crowd: 69,104 at the MCG