Richmond's dismal start to the AFL season has prompted a betting agency to pay out punters who backed the Tigers for the wooden spoon 18 rounds early.

Richmond's 55-point loss to Melbourne - the bottom-placed club of the past two seasons - was enough to convince online bookmaker Sportsbet.com.au the Tigers can't climb from the foot of the ladder.

The agency has paid out more than $100,000 to punters who backed the Tigers to finish last, reasoning that it is already a foregone conclusion.

The 55-point margin against the Demons was as close as Richmond have come to any opponent in the first four rounds.

However, they were fielding an extremely inexperienced team, including three debutants, after suspending four players for disciplinary reasons.

Richmond have blooded six new players in the first four rounds, having also included three first-gamers for the season-opener.

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