RYLEIGH Wotherspoon has produced a career-best night to fire Melbourne to a thumping 62-point win over Richmond at Ikon Park.

The forward booted four goals and gathered 25 disposals as the Demons bounced back from their round nine loss with a commanding 14.10 (94) to 5.2 (32) victory on Friday night.

Wotherspoon was the standout in a ruthless Melbourne performance, with her final-term burst helping put the result beyond doubt in perfect conditions in front of 1,867 fans.

The win moves the Demons back into second place on the ladder and secures their place in finals alongside Geelong and North Melbourne, while nine individual goalkickers underlined their attacking depth.

The Demons looked a class above right from the get-go, midfielders Olivia Purcell (36 possessions, eight clearances) and Tyla Hanks (32 possessions, eight score involvements) dominating in the middle and sending the ball forward.

Tayla Harris was dangerous early. When the high-flying forward didn't mark the ball, she brought it to ground, allowing silky midfielder Hanks to rove expertly at speed and snap the game's first.

Richmond key forward Caitlin Greiser soon went one better, snapping a goal from close range from the tightest of angles, before Melbourne added a further three majors before the break to lead by 21 points at quarter-time.

Richmond came out with a renewed intensity in the second quarter, with midfielders Issy Bacon, Mon Conti and Ellie McKenzie equalising at stoppage reducing the impact of Hanks and Purcell.

Two of Richmond's young stars combined when Sierra Grieves took on her opponent, dancing around Maeve Chaplin at the top of 50 before finding Wolmarans ahead of the ball, the young star slotting the set-shot from a tight angle.

It was all Melbourne in the third, the Demons' deep entries inside 50 putting Richmond's defence under the pump, Melbourne capitalising with a number of goals coming from shots within 10 metres from the goal line.

Wotherspoon started to get on a roll in front of goal, adding two in the final term to put the win beyond doubt.

King in the building
It was a meeting of the minds when Melbourne's men's and women's coaches combined in the coaches box in Friday night's match. Steven King joined Tom Wilson in the box for the round 10 game, after Wilson joined King in the men's coaches box earlier in the season.

Many hands make light work
In Friday night's game against the Tigers, Melbourne had nine individual goalscorers. The Demons were without their leading goalscorer Mia Austin as well as Kate Hore, who were both out with injury, but there was no shortage of players willing to contribute in front of the sticks. Georgia Gall played most of the game as Melbourne's deepest forward, scoring two majors.

Up next
Melbourne heads to Mission Whitten Oval to face off against fellow top-eight side the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night. Richmond heads north to play one of the hottest teams in the competition right now, when it faces Gold Coast on Saturday evening at People First Stadium.

MELBOURNE     4.4   5.5  11.9  14.10  (94)
RICHMOND           1.1   2.2   3.2   5.2  (32)

GOALS
Melbourne: Wotherspoon 4, Gall 2, Bannan 2, Hanks, Livingstone, Mahoney, Fitzsimon, Harris, Horisk
Richmond: Wolmarans 2, Greiser, Grieves, Ford

BEST
Melbourne: Wotherspoon, Hanks, Purcell, Bannan, Harris
Richmond: McKenzie, Grieves, Wolmarans, Kelly, Conti

INJURIES
Melbourne: Nil
Richmond: Nil

Reports: Nil

Crowd: 1,867 at Ikon Park