Dustin Martin's Brownlow change gathered more momentum on Saturday, with the Richmond star gathering a career-high 43 possessions in the Tigers' 19-point win over Essendon at the MCG.

The win came at a significant cost, however, with vice-captain Brett Deledio suffering another calf complaint that could sideline him for the rest of the season.

Richmond, now officially in "mini-rejuvenation" mode according to coach Damien Hardwick, took until the final eight minutes to shake the plucky Bombers before winning 16.6 (102) to 11.17 (83).  

And in another performance certain to earn him three votes, it was Martin who stood above every player on the ground, converting a brilliant set shot from 45m next to the boundary to seal the win.

The 25-year-old, wearing a black armband for his cousin who recently passed away, also set a career high with 14 clearances, finishing with six inside 50s, 22 contested possessions and two goals.    

Richmond led by just one point halfway through the final quarter after Bombers forward Joe Daniher kicked his second goal and capitalised on an extended period of momentum for the underdogs.

It took first-year Tiger Daniel Rioli to stand up in a big moment, converting a set shot from 48m to take back control, with Shaun Grigg matching that effort two minutes later to stretch the lead to 13.

Hardwick was careful in his praise for Martin, whose contested-ball dominance led to some wayward kicking and a disposal efficiency of 51 per cent.

"I thought his effectiveness probably wasn't right to the level that it normally is," the coach said. 

"Essendon did a pretty good job of smashing into him, but 'Dusty' eventually sees off most guys, so it was a good game from him.

"When he plays in that 'beast-mode' mentality he's really hard to stop."

As well as Martin, the Tigers were led brilliantly by captain Trent Cotchin (35 possessions and six clearances), while Ben Griffiths kicked three goals and took a career-high 12 marks.

Bombers midfielder Zach Merrett just trailed Martin for best-on-ground honours with 34 possessions, 10 tackles and six clearances, while defender Patrick Ambrose kept Jack Riewoldt goalless. 

The Bombers will rue wasted chances in the final term, with Shaun McKernan and Orazio Fantasia both missing gettable set shots as the team kicked 3.6 for the quarter. 

Ruckman Matthew Leuenberger will also be reluctant to look back on a decision late in the third quarter to play on 25m from goal only to be chased down by defender Dylan Grimes. 

Still, the Bombers had six more scoring shots and won the inside 50s 53-46 in what should be an encouraging performance going into next week's clash against the Brisbane Lions that presents a chance to get off the bottom of the ladder.

"It's good, I like the fact we're getting annoyed that we're getting close. We're not happy," coach John Worsfold said.

"That's a good sign because I reckon early in the year we would have said 'Gee, we're happy to get that close' so the fact we're really making teams fight to win games and giving ourselves a chance of winning is a real positive. 

"The challenge now is to have the composure and the class to get in front late and hold onto it."

Essendon's best period was the opening 15 minutes of the game, kicking three unanswered goals, pressuring the Tigers into repeated errors and owning the stoppages.

The Bombers raced to a 19-point lead on the back of two goals to Fantasia, but they couldn't maintain the frenetic energy levels and were dragged back to level pegging at quarter-time as the Tigers found their feet.

Once rolling, Richmond's highlights included a goal-of-the-year contender from Sam Lloyd, who instinctively placed the ball on his right boot in the pocket after taking possession, guiding through a magnificent dribble goal.

At the start of the second quarter impressive Tigers youngster Oleg Markov kicked the first goal in what is shaping as a promising career, showcasing his skill and speed to convert on the run.

But as has been the case for much of 2016, it was the Tigers' best players driving the team, with Martin, Cotchin and Deledio combining for 63 first-half possessions, 13 clearances and 10 inside 50s.

Martin and Cotchin kicked on in the second half, but Deledio spent the rest of the game on the bench with his right calf on ice.

MEDICAL ROOM
Richmond: Brett Deledio will undergo scans after pulling up with a tight right calf at half-time. There was no specific incident that led to the complaint, but the Tigers will be ultra cautious with their vice-captain. Given his history, he could be put on ice for the rest of the season. 
Essendon: James Gwilt injured his left knee early in the second quarter but was able to play on for the next 20 minutes. The defender was in obvious discomfort and his day was called before half-time. It is not clear how serious the injury is.

NEXT UP
Essendon's form line suggests it is a strong chance to beat the Brisbane Lions in next Sunday's clash at Etihad Stadium and get off the bottom of the ladder. Richmond faces Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday in another chance for the Tigers to develop their young players.

RICHMOND          3.3   7.3    11.5   16.6   (102)                  
ESSENDON          3.3   5.7    8.11   11.17   (83)           

GOALS

Richmond: Lloyd 3, Griffiths 3, Grigg 2, Martin 2, Rioli, Miles, Menadue, Markov, Hunt, Hampson
Essendon: Fantasia 3, Laverde 2, Daniher 2, McKernan, Hams, Kelly, Merrett 

BEST 

Richmond: Martin, Cotchin, Griffiths, Grigg, Short, Castagna, Lloyd
Essendon: Merrett, Fantasia, Ambrose, Kelly, Parish, Gleeson 

INJURIES 

Richmond: Deledio (calf)
Essendon: Gwilt (knee)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Foot, Fisher, Hosking

Official crowd: 44,908 at the MCG