The result pushes the Power out of the top four for the first time since Round 3 ahead of a challenging run home against Melbourne, Collingwood, Sydney, Gold Coast, Carlton and Fremantle, but was hardly surprising after Port uncharacteristically allowed the Tigers to boot 72 points to half time.
That was just five points in arrears of the average score conceded in a game by the Power leading into its encounter.
The result was made all the more disappointing after two notable highlights for the game.
The first was Travis Boak's 39-disposal performance as the Power's undeniable best afield, the second was an incredible goal from Matt White which saw the former Tiger evade several ex-teammates between centre wing and the 50-metre arc.
But those highlights were just two of very few for Port Adelaide, which was beaten at its own game by a Richmond side playing confident and gutsy football.
The Tigers played the first half on their terms and used a classy defensive performance to restrict Port Adelaide's preferred running game.
Unable to capitalise on early opportunities in front of goal, and sloppy in crucial moments around the ground as it tried to claw its way back into the game during the third term, the Power couldn't to find the space it needed to launch a killing blow.
While Port managed four goals for the quarter in contrast to Richmond's eventual seven, three came during the closing stages of the term in the wake of a momentarily defensive lapse from the Tigers.
It made the Power's hopes of mounting a late surge from behind increasingly unlikely, even though it was able to peg the margin back to 13 points at the final change.
Port Adelaide must now regroup before another challenge against a Melbourne side it escape from in Alice Springs in early June at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday 20 July.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 3.3 8.4 12.7 16.10 (106)
RICHMOND 4.2 11.6 15.9 19.12 (126)
portadelaidefc.com.au's BEST
Boak , Lobbe, Cornes, R. Gray, Hartlett
GOALS
R. Gray 4, Broadbent, White, Schulz 2, Boak, Hartlett, Wingard, Polec, S. Gray, Wines
SUBSTITUTE
Kane Mitchell replaced Sam Gray during the third quarter
INJURIES
Robbie Gray (concussion - TBC)
CROWD
21,483 at Etihad Stadium
But those highlights were just two of very few for Port Adelaide, which was beaten at its own game by a Richmond side playing confident and gutsy football.
The Tigers played the first half on their terms and used a classy defensive performance to restrict Port Adelaide's preferred running game.
Unable to capitalise on early opportunities in front of goal, and sloppy in crucial moments around the ground as it tried to claw its way back into the game during the third term, the Power couldn't to find the space it needed to launch a killing blow.
Richmond was then able to bunker down and score late goals against the flow of play and put the result beyond doubt.
With 150-gamer Justin Westhoff rotated through the backlines and key forward Jay Schulz forced to hunt the ball up field, the Power's options in attack were limited as numbers were pushed behind the ball during the second quarter.
With 150-gamer Justin Westhoff rotated through the backlines and key forward Jay Schulz forced to hunt the ball up field, the Power's options in attack were limited as numbers were pushed behind the ball during the second quarter.
That's where Richmond was able to seize the early momentum and launch forward time and again with six goals before time on in the second quarter.
Its inaccuracy kept the Power with a fighting chance, but the visitors ultimately played 'catch-up' for most of the day.
It was the second quarter of the Tigers that put Port to the sword, with a slender five-point margin at the first change ballooning to a 32-point gap in Richmond's favour late in the second quarter.
The Port Adelaide defence - still devoid of its key leaders Jackson Trengove and Alipate Carlile - was placed under enormous pressure as it struggled to contain the Tigers' damaging forwards on every surge forward from the middle during that quarter.
It was the second quarter of the Tigers that put Port to the sword, with a slender five-point margin at the first change ballooning to a 32-point gap in Richmond's favour late in the second quarter.
The Port Adelaide defence - still devoid of its key leaders Jackson Trengove and Alipate Carlile - was placed under enormous pressure as it struggled to contain the Tigers' damaging forwards on every surge forward from the middle during that quarter.
While Port managed four goals for the quarter in contrast to Richmond's eventual seven, three came during the closing stages of the term in the wake of a momentarily defensive lapse from the Tigers.
It made the Power's hopes of mounting a late surge from behind increasingly unlikely, even though it was able to peg the margin back to 13 points at the final change.
Port Adelaide must now regroup before another challenge against a Melbourne side it escape from in Alice Springs in early June at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday 20 July.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 3.3 8.4 12.7 16.10 (106)
RICHMOND 4.2 11.6 15.9 19.12 (126)
portadelaidefc.com.au's BEST
Boak , Lobbe, Cornes, R. Gray, Hartlett
GOALS
R. Gray 4, Broadbent, White, Schulz 2, Boak, Hartlett, Wingard, Polec, S. Gray, Wines
SUBSTITUTE
Kane Mitchell replaced Sam Gray during the third quarter
INJURIES
Robbie Gray (concussion - TBC)
CROWD
21,483 at Etihad Stadium
