Cotchin mobbed after booting 'goal of the game'

Trent Cotchin's incredible fourth-quarter goal against Geelong was undoubtedly the highlight of a real captain's knock from the Richmond skipper.

The Tigers snapped a 16-year AFL finals drought courtesy of their 13.13 (91) to 5.10 (40) triumph against the Cats at the MCG on Friday night.

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Cotchin kicked the best goal of the night as the Tigers ran riot in the fourth term, turning a hard-fought contest into a comfortable 51-point win.

The 27-year-old came from nowehere to claim possession of the footy through a crowd of players around the 50m arc.

Swivelling a full 360-degrees through a gap only he knew existed, Cotchin had within an instant fashioned a shot on goal that sailed straight between the sticks.

"What a pick up from Cotchin, left foot snap, the goal of the game!" Brian Taylor exclaimed in commentary.

"Cotchin, look at them (teammates) get around him, what about that!?"

Coach Damien Hardwick agreed that he had witnessed a special showing from both his skipper as well as Brownlow Medal favourite Dustin Martin.

"Dustin and Trent went to work through the middle and just started to get that ball going forward. That's what good players do. You rely on them," Hardwick said.

"Geelong quelled their influence last time, but I thought our guys were outstanding today."

The win means Richmond have earnt themselves a week off while Geelong will have to regroup for next week's sudden-death semi-final.