Gold Coast have ground down a lacklustre Richmond in a percentage-boosting win to fuel the September strangers' top-four ambitions.
The Suns ran freely through the midfield but didn't fully capitalise in a 16.11 (107) to 2.11 (23) win on Saturday at People First Stadium that was still easily their biggest against the Tigers.
Richmond's second goal, with two minutes to play, saw them avoid their lowest total since 1961, but was still the club's equal-seventh lowest score.
Coach Adem Yze balanced the opportunity to blood fresh faces in the midfield with the display he labelled "not up to AFL standard" while still praising the work of veteran defender Nick Vlaustin.
"There's a split personality in the changeroom right now," he said.
"Young guys getting opportunity, some exposure and older players who know that's not good enough and embarrassed by the scoreboard."
It was the home side's record-extending 13th win this season, likely leaving them just one short of locking in a maiden finals campaign with four home-and-away games still to play.
Ben King (four goals) passed 50 goals this season while new forward-line partner Jy Farrar (two goals, two assists, six tackles) had a tremendous presence and Noah Anderson (38 disposals) filled his boots.
The lopsided victory shot the Suns into the league's top six, a win away from outright third with a game in hand and only one top-eight rival in their final four games.
"If you had said to me we'd win by 80 I'd be absolutely pumped," Suns coach Damien Hardwick said.
"Once again, we've got some work cut out for us in a couple of areas, but, the 80 per cent was pretty solid.
"You'll always drift there (to hopes of a top-four finish) but, like I keep telling the guys, keep where your feet are … we've just got to keep winning games."
Richmond were held goalless in the first half but the Suns, wayward late in the second term, didn't put the game to bed until Farrar's one-two punch late in the third quarter.
First he laid another huge forward-50 tackle, Bailey Humphrey playing on and kicking the goal, before Farrar grabbed a loose ball from a contest and dribbled through a major.
King's radar remained true while Ben Long (two goals) didn't miss out and Matt Rowell (27 touches, 12 clearances) set the tone with 10 touches and five clearances in the first quarter.
Touk Miller had 25 touches in his first game back from a hamstring strain while Mac Andrew got himself into the highlight reel when he loaded up from 55 metres for a terrific major.
The Tigers fell to 5-15 and lost rookie Jonty Faull to a first-quarter knee injury that Yze thinks won't be a long-term issue.
There will be further umpire contact discussion after ruckman Toby Nankervis inadvertently collected an official in the centre square, who had bounced the ball back over his head.
The umpire fell and narrowly avoided being trampled by a falling Jarrod Witts in another ugly incident that comes as pundits debate the necessity of the traditional centre bounce.
"He'll (Nankervis) obviously be worried about it but … he wasn't standing behind that protected space," Yze said.
"I don't think that's against the rules.
"It's unusual for the ball to land back on the umpy's head. Poor umpy … two big, 100kg men ended up crushing him."
