Richmond and Fremantle have played the first AFL draw of the season, making them three straight nail-biting contests for the Tigers.
After losing to the Gold Coast and lowly North Melbourne in devastating circumstances over the last two weeks, Richmond tested the hearts of their fans at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
Young Tigers forward Noah Cumberland scored just outside the 50m mark but played on just as the siren sounded as the referee signaled the end of the game.
Richmond had plenty of chances to win the game, but Cumberland only needed to blitz the ball for a point and secure a memorable win after being hit in the chest by Marlion Pickett.
The Tigers led at every break, including by eight points through three quarters, but the scores ended tied at 7.10 (52) apiece.
Tigers forward Noah Balta also had a set shot in the closing stages, but it took too long and the referee called him to continue and his kick was smothered.
It’s another blow to the Tigers’ top-eight hopes, and they could drop as low as 10th by the end of the round.
On a dirty night for the Dockers, superstar captain Nat Fyfe was substituted early in the third quarter with a suspected hamstring injury.
Fyfe kicked in an important goal during the second quarter and looked poised to make his mark on the match before suffering the setback through injury.
The two-time medalist from Brownlow missed the first 12 games of the season after numerous problems with his body since July of last year.
A defensive-minded Richmond seemed to have found a way to win in a low-scoring fight, but the Dockers went 2-1 in the fourth quarter.
Maurice Rioli Jnr came into the game midway through the final period after Ben Miller was substituted, putting up a big tackle to make an impact.
Fremantle’s top four aspirations took a hit and Collingwood will push the Dockers to fifth if they beat Essendon on Sunday.
The Tigers take on the Brisbane Lions at the MCG next Sunday, while Fremantle will return to the stage on Friday night when they host the current Melbourne premierships at Optus Stadium.