Adelaide comfortably accounted for Richmond in a thumping 68-point victory at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.
The Crows jumped into third spot on the ladder with the 18.14 (122) to 8.6 (54) win.
Despite the multi-pronged and dangerous Adelaide forward line, it was small backman Max Michalanney who kicked the opener, just his second major in 60 games, playing a defensive forward role on interceptor Nick Vlastuin.
Adelaide was well and truly controlling play early, owning the footy and winning most of the one-on-one contests.
By contrast, when Richmond did manage to get the ball, its forward 50 entries were slow, high and shallow.
The Crows themselves weren't at their sparkling best, a little rusty straight off the bye, and kicked 2.5 in the opening term.
A generous interpretation of the game would have attributed both sides' fumbles to the bitingly cold Melbourne air, but the coaches would have been frustrated with how their teams handled the footy during portions of the first half.
But Adelaide's hands around the contest sharpened, with skipper Jordan Dawson continually finding his teammates in space, as the Crows kicked four goals in the back-end of the second.
They took a 43-point lead into half-time, having held the Tigers to just two goals.
Adelaide was already well on top, but the switch meant the Tigers were down a tall defender against the biggest forward line going around, and the dam wall was well and truly breached.
Riley Thilthorpe was a constant threat all match and marked strongly, booting five, while only inaccuracy prevented Taylor Walker and Darcy Fogarty from having bigger games.
The backline also found plenty of the footy, led by Josh Worrell and Rory Laird, while Butts completely blanketed Lynch.
The first recognised Richmond forward to kick a goal was Seth Campbell halfway through the third term, while second-gamer Jasper Alger was lively throughout.
He kicked his first AFL goal in unusual circumstances, bouncing off the goalpost but keeping the footy clear of the padding as he dropped the ball on the outside of his boot, having to wait through a score review to confirm his maiden major, before following with a second.
With the game well and truly sewn up in the third term, dangerous small Josh Rachele was managed out after kicking two goals.
SCOREBOARD
RICHMOND 0.1 2.2 5.2 8.6 (54)
ADELAIDE 2.5 8.7 12.3 18.14 (122)
GOALS
Richmond: Alger 2, Ralphsmith, Banks, Trainor, Campbell, Lynch, Mansell
Adelaide: Thilthorpe 5, Michalanney 3, Curtin 2, Rachele 2, Walker 2, Rankine, Fogarty, Berry, O'Brien
BEST
Richmond: Prestia, Banks, Miller, Ross
Adelaide: Dawson, Curtain, Thilthorpe, Worrell, Michalanney, Laird
SUBSTITUTES
Richmond: Kamdyn McIntosh (replaced Mykelti Lefau in the second quarter)
Adelaide: Lachlan Murphy (replaced Josh Rachele in the third quarter)