First quarter: Melbourne 5.1 (31) to Richmond 2.3 (15)
Melbourne got off to a flyer when Angus Brayshaw snapped a fine goal under pressure from the pocket.
Bernie Vince soon made it two in a row, giving the red and blue an 11-point lead.
Shane Edwards opened Richmond’s account at the nine-minute mark and when teammate Troy Chaplin followed up, the Tigers were in front by a point.
Melbourne regained the lead after Jack Watts marked from just outside 50 before converting a beautiful set-shot.
And when Jeff Garlett bent a banana on the run and Max Gawn kicked truly after raking in a fantastic pack mark, Melbourne led by 16 points at quarter-time.
Second quarter: Melbourne 11.3 (69) to Richmond 7.5 (47)
After a heated fracas at the quarter-time break, it was Melbourne which hit the scoreboard first in the second term.
Again, it was Watts, who stepped up to the plate. And just a minute into the quarter, he had two to his name, after he threaded a beauty from a tight angle.
Melbourne led by 22 points, but Richmond fought back midway through the term with three in a row to close the gap back to three points.
However, Melbourne answered with five of the last seven goals before the main change to lead by 22 points.
The red and blue had 11 goals on the board, with two goals to Garlett, Gawn, Bernie Vince and Watts.
Third quarter: Melbourne 14.7 (91) to Richmond 11.9 (75)
Richmond started the third term strongly, booting the first two goals to narrow the deficit to eight points.
It took nine minutes before Melbourne opened its second half account, but when James Harmes nailed his first and Garlett booted his third, it was back out to a 19-point lead.
Still, the Tigers answered again, kicking two in a row to trail by nine points.
But a crucial late goal from Dom Tyson gave Melbourne a 16-point lead at three quarter-time.
Jack Viney had 26 disposals entering the final change.
Final quarter: Melbourne 20.9 (129) d Richmond 14.12 (96)
Melbourne extended its lead to 26 points early in the final term, when Tyson added his second and Sam Frost got on the scoreboard.
Richmond kept within reach when it kicked two in two minutes and was down by 14 points.
But when Vince added his third, Kent bobbed up for his first, Watts kicked his third and Garlett bagged his fourth, Melbourne bounced out to a 39-point lead – the biggest of the match.
Ty Vickery kicked the last goal of the match – his third – but it mattered little in the wash-up, as Melbourne claimed a 33-point victory.
In the process, the red and blue made it two in a row – the first time since 2011 – and chalked up its third win for the season. Viney also finished with a career-best and match-high 38 disposals.
