North Melbourne skipper Brent Harvey is facing up to three months on the sidelines after dislocating his elbow in the Kangaroos' shock 36-point AFL loss to Richmond at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

Richmond broke through for their first win of the season, taking full advantage of the Kangaroos losing Harvey early in the first quarter for a convincing 13.16 (94) to 7.16 (58) win.

North coach Dean Laidley said Harvey could face up to 12 weeks out if scans on Sunday showed he had torn ligaments around the elbow.

"He's in for a long stint on the sidelines ... if he's torn the ligaments it'll be at least 12 weeks. If the ligaments are still attached, it'll still be at least six to seven," Laidley said.

The Kangaroos had booted the first three goals of the match, racing to a 19-point lead.

But the game changed complexion entirely when Harvey left the ground grimacing in pain, nursing an injured left arm following a tackle gone wrong.

Under siege for the past month, the Tigers rallied as young forward Jack Riewoldt and Robin Nahas sparked them into life.

Riewoldt booted three goals in the second term to help his side back into the contest, while rookie-listed Nahas starred with 12 of his 17 possessions in the first half and tackled himself to a standstill.

The Tigers led by seven points at halftime, then turned on a four goals to one third term to take a 27-point lead into the final break.

North could have made the contest interesting, but butchered four gettable shots at goal to start the final term.

Instead Richmond veteran Joel Bowden iced a sweeping downfield move with a major soon afterwards to ensure his side's first win in five matches, and relieve the pressure on besieged coach Terry Wallace.

Wallace said he was pleased with how his side bounced back after what he labelled a "deplorable" first few minutes.

"The guys really knuckled down ... we're still fairly young and I hope our supporters are driving home, seeing some of those guys can play a bit of footy and knowing they'll be in reasonable hands once those players get games under their belt," Wallace said.

The Tigers also were forced to carry Matthew Richardson as a passenger for much of the match after he strained a buttock muscle early in the second term.

But Richmond sent him back into the fray midway through the third quarter with the game in the balance.

The 34-year-old limped around the goalsquare before leaving the field late in the fourth term once the match was safely won.

Wallace said early indications were Richardson was a chance to play next week against Sydney.

Richmond midfielder Mark Coughlan made a successful return to AFL football for the first time in three years following a succession of knee and hamstring injuries.

He managed 16 touches and five tackles in his first game since round 12, 2006.

To compound a bad night for the Kangaroos, defender Lachie Hansen also injured a hamstring and faces up to three weeks out.

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