Richmond has thumped Essendon by 66 points in Ben Rutten's likely last AFL match as Bombers coach, but the Tigers will sweat on a groin injury to Tom Lynch ahead of the finals.
In other matches, Port Adelaide thrashed the Crows by 56 points in the Showdown, while Geelong, Fremantle and Gold Coast also recorded wins.
Lynch was substituted for Jason Castagna in the final quarter, after booting five second-half goals, to sour the Tigers' otherwise impressive 21.15 (141) to 11.9 (75) victory at the MCG.
It had otherwise been a relatively routine win for Richmond, who sealed seventh place and added an exclamation mark to Essendon's self-inflicted week of turmoil.
Bombers coach Rutten is contracted for next season but it appears he will be sacked after a board meeting on Sunday, days after the club's botched attempt to lure now-North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson.
On Saturday night, Richmond kept Essendon at arm's length for the first two quarters then kicked away to leave the Bombers languishing in 15th place on the ladder.
The typically reliable Dion Prestia (31 disposals, five clearances) was Richmond's best in an even team performance, while Lynch exploded after the main beak.
For Essendon, Zach Merrett (37 disposals, eight clearances) found the ball at will and was supported by Dylan Shiel (28 disposals, seven clearances) while key forward Peter Wright booted three goals.
The Bombers also farewelled retiring stalwart Michael Hurley, who played his first AFL match since a horror hip infection.
Hurley also had an emotional end to the night, marking close to goal late and kicking truly before waving to the Bombers' supporters in celebration.
The Tigers booted five of the first seven majors, with livewire Noah Cumberland jagging their first two.
Defender Ben Miller drifted forward and goaled after the siren to give the Tigers a 19-point lead at the first change.
The Bombers kicked the first two goals of the second term but were unable really get a foothold in the game.
Bombers dynamo Jake Stringer had to be substituted out of the contest after copping an accidental knee to the back of the head from Marlion Pickett, who had attempted to hurdle the forward.
Richmond maintained their 19-point lead at the main break and booted the first six goals of the second half to effectively lock up the four points midway through the third term.
Lynch came to life, monstering Jayden Laverde to boot his first three goals of the match.
Wright and Dyson Heppell goaled to snap Richmond's goalkicking run and limit the three quarter-time deficit to 44 points.
But the Tigers kept the foot down after the final change to nudge their winning margin beyond 10 goals, with only Lynch's injury stopping their momentum.
Power hammer Crows
Port Adelaide great Robbie Gray kicked two goals in his side's trouncing of Adelaide to finish his decorated AFL career on a triumphant note.
Gray also had a hand in four other goals — and missed two regulation set shots — in Port's 16.15 (111) to 7.13 (55) win at Adelaide Oval.
Gray's teammates Connor Rozee (34 disposals, 11 inside 50s, one goal), Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines (34 possessions, one goal) and Zak Butters (26 touches, nine clearances, one goal) were midfield forces.
Winger Karl Amon was another standout with 31 disposals and a goal in what is expected to be his last match for the Power before requesting a trade to a Melbourne-based club, while Todd Marshall slotted four goals.
The Power, after being beaten preliminary finalists in the past two seasons, will finish 11th on the ladder.
The Crows will likely end their season in 14th spot, missing the finals for the fifth consecutive year.
Before a sell-out 50,090-strong crowd, Adelaide's Jordan Dawson (22 disposals), Rory Laird (26 touches) and Darcy Fogarty, who kicked three first-half goals, battled gamely against the Power tide.
But the Crows, after trailing by seven points at half-time, were swamped in the second half when the Power kicked 11 goals to three.
The spree came after a tight first half when Fogarty's triple treats kept the Crows in the contest.
The Power led by one-point at quarter-time, 2.4 to 2.3, with Gray having a hand in both his side's goals — handballs in the scoring chains.
In the second stanza, Gray threaded a 45-metre set shot from a tight angle to delight the pro-Power crowd.
Adelaide's Fogarty then booted consecutive goals after two strong contested marks taken under great heat from Power captain Tom Jonas.
But the Power — after leading 5.7 to 4.6 at half-time — accelerated in the third stanza.
They scored four consecutive goals with four-time All Australian and triple club champion Gray triggering the avalanche with a left footed goal from an acute angle.
And after leading by 28 points at three quarter-time, the Power ran amok in the last term with seven goals to two as the Crows' season ended with barely a whimper.
Cats win in Dangerfield's 300th match
Injuries to Cameron Guthrie and Jake Kolodjashnij have soured Geelong's thumping 85-point win over West Coast in Patrick Dangerfield's 300th AFL match.
Having already secured the minor premiership, the Cats warmed up for the finals with a predictable belting of the lowly Eagles for their 13th-straight win.
Even when the Eagles were challenging for premierships they endured beltings at Kardinia Stadium, and Saturday's match was no different as a bottom-two team.
Geelong slammed through six opening-quarter goals, won every term and dominated inside-50s 62-27 in the 19.17 (131) to 7.4 (46) rout.
Despite missing star forward Jeremy Cameron (hamstring), Geelong's forward line functioned superbly as the Cats five multiple goal kickers.
Tyson Stengle continued his push for All-Australian selection, booting a match-high four goals to take his season tally to 46 in his first year at Geelong.
Tom Hawkins entered the match with an opportunity to pinch the Coleman medal off Carlton's Charlie Curnow but he was held to four goals by star Eagles defender Tom Barrass.
But Cats defender Kolodjashnij will be in doubt to play in Geelong's first qualifying final after entering concussion protocols.
Kolodjashnij suffered a head knock in the first quarter and was subbed out for Tom Atkins, meaning he will be sidelined for at least 12 days.
Guthrie injured his shoulder early in the second quarter and took no further part in the match but the Cats said that was just as a precaution.
Geelong will have a week before preparing for a qualifying final at the MCG against Fremantle, Sydney or Collingwood.
For the Eagles, a club-worst season comes to an end after going 2-20 to finish 17th on the ladder, only ahead of North Melbourne on percentage.
Dockers stay in race for top-four finish
Fremantle took care of business in its pursuit of a top-four finish, but not without a serious scare against GWS at Manuka Oval.
The 13.11 (89) to 10.9 (69) victory means the Dockers will end Saturday third on the ladder, and hold on to a double-chance should either Collingwood lose to Carlton or Sydney fall to St Kilda on Sunday.
If both win, the Dockers will host an elimination final at Perth Stadium against the eight-placed team.
But it did not come easily in Canberra, with the Dockers trailing by 31 points as the Giants dominated early.
They kicked five straight goals either side of half-time to hit the front early in the second half and looked home in the last when Andrew Brayshaw slotted his second running major, only for two quick Jacob Hopper efforts to turn the match on its head.
But the Dockers had the final say, with the last three goals of the day capped by Michael Walters snapping his third major in his 200th AFL match.
Midfielder Will Brodie led the charge with a stellar 30-disposal, one-goal match but he can thank teammate Caleb Serong for his help, influential in establishing control in the middle with 11 clearances.
The Dockers had been forced to play star midfielder Nat Fyfe out of the goal square after Griffin Logue's late injury withdrawal saw him join key forwards Rory Lobb and Matt Taberner in missing the contest.
It meant they struggled to score at times despite dominating the inside 50-count 68-45, with GWS defender Sam Taylor one beneficiary with an impressive 20 touches and 12 marks.
It ends Mark McVeigh's tenure as GWS interim coach with a 4-9 win-loss record, although the side's increased performance level in the back-half of the season has reportedly made him a genuine candidate for the permanent position.
The Giants end their campaign with a 6-16 record, and face an off-season full of movement as they seek to appoint a new coach and deal with a number of players who are rumoured to want out of the club.
Suns hammer Kangaroos
Gold Coast was left to ponder what might have been after a club-equalling win against wooden spooners North Melbourne at Docklands.
It was the Suns' 10th victory, matching the season-best of 2014, but again coming up short of finishing in the top-eight to play in the finals.
Gold Coast set up the 16.18 (114) to 6.11 (47) victory with superior efficiency with the ball, control around the stoppages and a functioning forward line led by veteran Alex Sexton with a career-best six goals.
It was a disappointing collective assessment from the Kangaroos players for incoming senior coach Alastair Clarkson as he watching the game away from Docklands.
Clarkson at least would have been heartened by several individual performances, such as number-one draft pick Jason Horne-Francis with his work in the midfield until he was forced off with a cut head late in the third quarter.
Backman Ben McKay kept Suns' key forward Levi Casboult goalless and Curtis Taylor picked up 25 possessions and a goal while dulling the influence of Suns co-captain Touk Miller — one of the Brownlow Medal favourites — to a manageable 25 disposals.
North Melbourne really only threatened once with goals from Hugh Greenwood and Luke Davies-Uniacke early in the third quarter.
But the Suns responded to the challenge with five unanswered goals from Sexton (two), Miller, Malcolm Rosas and Mabior Chol to put the contest beyond reach.
AAP/ABC
