Tigers end St Kilda challenge in blink of an eye at the MCG Tyrone Vickery dominated against St Kilda. IT WAS the 13 minutes of power football that added another dimension to Richmond's September dreams. No, it was the 13 minutes that ensured that finals dream can now be considered a reality. The Tiger army has tempted fate on more than one occasion in a 12-year finals hiatus, but surely the time has come to start dropping the 'F' word at Punt Road. It's not simply the 9-4 record, including six wins in the last seven, that fuels rising expectation, but rather the manner Richmond is playing in putting sides away. The Tigers midfield has been up in lights all season, but it was their forward firepower that added the eye-catching gloss to Sunday's 64-point thumping of St Kilda at the MCG. SuperFooty HQ - Full stats and SuperCoach scores Only eight points separated Richmond from St Kilda half-way through the second term before three key goalkickers in yellow and black caught fire. Jack Riewoldt, Ty Vickery and Aaron Edwards went on a rampage, driving a six goal to one quarter that broke the back of the undermanned Saints. With Sam Fisher, Tom Simpkin and Sam Gilbert all missing, it was the three big forwards who did the damage and ensured the Tigers could have more than a midfield ace up their sleeve come finals. Riewoldt's third goal, by the 14-minute mark of the second quarter, had seen off Sean Dempster and then had Rhys Stanley struggling to do much better. Unusually, Riewoldt's only knock was his poor conversion. Vickery was monstering James Gwilt and marking everything in sight. Edwards, playing just his fourth game this year, was so good it's hard to imagine him slipping back out of the side. He played with passion and verve, but also precision. Most importantly, he drew attention from usual suspect, Riewoldt. By half time the influential trio had combined for 20 marks, four contested, and five goals. They did it all in front of a heaving yellow and black army behind the goals at the Punt Road end of the ground. For a while there it was party time. So dominant was the assault that St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt was taking kick-ins in the shadows of the main break. A half-time downpour proved the only thing capable of blunting the output of Richmond's big forwards, but the slippery conditions in the second half only served to highlight Richmond's pressure and hunger. The Tigers' lack of tackling has been the one glaring flaw in the first half of the season, and while those numbers were never going to go through the roof in a dominant victory, they smashed the ball carrier when needed. Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says his side is 'tracking in the right direction'. Debutant Matthew Arnot came with a hard reputation and he didn't disappoint. The youngster finished with a Richmond-high seven tackles, none better than when he pinged Jarryn Geary in a bear-like grasp that allowed Daniel Jackson to stroll in for one of his three goals. His attack was so ferocious he may find himself in trouble with the match review panel for charging in low and taking out Dempster's legs in the last term Steve Morris played like an animal - again - corralling and harrassing and scragging. The end result was Richmond's staggering 70-31 inside 50m domination. It was a belting. Nathan Foley was excellent in what has to be his best game since recovering from a long-term achilles injury. Cotchin had 18 disposals at half time, but took the foot off the pedal in the second half while Brett Deledio and Dustin Martin tallied their usual quota. St Kilda was largely reduced to counter-attacking football and despite the efforts of Riewoldt and Nick Dal Santo against the tide, it didn't threaten beyond the early exchanges.