MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Richmond Tigers improved on a seven-point lead after the first quarter to lead by 35 at halftime and went on to easily defeat the Greater Western Sydney Giants 17.12 (114) to 3.7 (25) in the Australian Football League grand final on Saturday.

It was the second Australian rules football title in three years for the Tigers. The Giants, who entered the AFL in 2012, had advanced to the playoffs for the last four years but were no match for the Tigers on Saturday before 100,014 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Richmond has now won 12 titles in the AFL or its predecessor, the Victorian Football League, its first in 1920.

The Tigers dropped as low as ninth but finished in third place and won 12 consecutive games to finish the season. Greater Western Sydney had done it the hard way, finishing sixth and defeating the Western Bulldogs, Brisbane and Collingwood in elimination matches in the playoffs.

It is the biggest grand final mismatch since Geelong's 119-point win in 2007 over Port Adelaide.

Dustin Martin kicked four goals and won his second Norm Smith Medal as best afield for the Tigers.

Marlion Pickett also starred on the game's biggest stage. The 27-year-old father of four, who did jail time as a teenager and was recruited four months ago, impressed as he became only the sixth player in AFL history to make his debut in a grand final.

"It was a special effort, our boys were outstanding," Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said. "It was an arm-wrestle for a quarter-and-a-half and then our guys just powered down."

Giants coach Leon Cameron said the game was lost after the first 25 minutes.

"Clearly after quarter-time, we as a footy club didn't play a brand that could stand up to Richmond," Cameron said. "We're rapt that we're playing on the big stage. But disappointed that we didn't live up to our end of the bargain and bring a better spectacle."