Melbourne are poised to bring back two former champions with Brad Green being asked to join the board while his teammate Adem Yze has rejoined the club as a senior assistant coach.
Demons president Glen Bartlett has asked Green to join the board as football director and the former captain is seriously considering a return to the club.
Brad Green after his last game for Melbourne in 2012.Credit: Joe Armao
Green has sounded out former teammates and is weighing up family and business commitments to decide if he has the time to commit to the role.
Melbourne does not have a former player on the board.
Bartlett, who played four games for West Coast in their first team in 1987, is the only board member with elite-level playing experience.
Melbourne CEO Gary Pert has been undertaking a review of the club’s football operations since the season ended.
The appointment of Yze is a coup for the Demons as the life member was a highly rated assistant coach under Alastair Clarkson at Hawthorn, where he has worked since 2012.
The move is part of a turnover at Hawthorn, where the coaching structure was becoming top-heavy with experienced coaches. Scott Burns recently left to join Adelaide as senior assistant coach and now Yze has left for the Demons.
The Hawks still have former Blues coach Brendon Bolton and former player and senior assistant Sam Mitchell in their structure.
With the pressure of the reduced football department soft cap the departures of the two valued assistant coaches – who were not pushed out and left for good jobs – will have been helpful.
Yze’s most recent role at Hawthorn was match-day strategy and opposition analysis, while he has also been in specialist goalkicking, development and other line-coaching roles there.
“Adem is highly regarded within the industry and brings a great deal of knowledge and experience to the club, having filled a number of senior coaching roles in his time at Hawthorn,” Demons football manager Josh Mahoney said.
Yze played 271 games for Melbourne, kicked 234 goals, won the club’s best and fairest in 2001 and was All Australian in 2002.
“I’ve loved my time with the Hawks but the opportunity to grow in a different role, with different coaches, was something that was really enticing to me,” Yze said.
“Being a past player back at my old club is great, but as a coach, what I’m really excited about is getting to work with the other coaches, and playing my part to get Melbourne back to a consistent finals outfit.”