Richmond Tigers coach Adem Yze talks connection with Neale Daniher, the big issues at Tigerland
Adem Yze beat out interim Richmond coach Andrew McQaulter for the top job at Tigerland, but what will he bring to Richmond as a coach? Yze sits down with Jon Ralph.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
What could have been the most humbling moment of Adem Yze’s career became a window into the coaching “genius” of an AFL luminary.
The silky Melbourne left-footer was 18 games short of Jim Stynes’ cherished record of 244 consecutive games when coach Neale Daniher dropped the hammer on him.
He snapped Yze’s 11-year streak of 226 straight matches in round 2, 2007, denying the 29-year-old a chance at history.
It is the day after Yze has been appointed Richmond’s 42nd VFL-AFL coach and as he drives into the Tigers AFLW game he is asked to reflect on that decision from a coaching perspective.
As it turns out, Daniher had perfectly read the moment in the same way Yze would hope he can in his new Richmond tenure.
“I had an amazing relationship with Neale. It was after round 1 and there was the possibility I could pass Jimmy’s record that year,” Yze tells this masthead.
“I would go in for a routine post-game meeting and at the end of that meeting there was something in the paper about the pressure and whether I would make it to the milestone.
“He asked about the pressure. I was adamant I didn’t care about the milestone.
“And he said we have to make sure it’s not impacting your form. Your teammates need to make sure you are playing for them and not that milestone.
“And I said if that’s the case I would rather not play. Let‘s break it. If I don’t play hard enough it’s because I haven’t played hard enough.”
The pair reconvened over a coffee catch-up later that week and Daniher’s mind was made up.
“He said I am going to release that pressure and take away all the anxiety and outside noise. We won’t play you this week and we can bring you in next week and get our season going. “So he did it for me. It was awesome. (The milestone) wasn’t a goal of mine.
“I look at that and think, “If I was a coach and I showed that much care … even though it looked like he dropped me, he was doing it for my form and almost for my own wellbeing. I don’t hold any grudges. It’s the genius of Neale. He was a hard man but a really smart man and a caring man. I hope I can have an impact like that on some of my players.”
Yze is finally in the driver’s seat at Richmond – beating out interim coach Andrew McQualter – in part because can build those relationships like Daniher.
He cannot wait, even if the stresses of coaching are always close by.
The string of sleepless nights analysing Melbourne’s semi-final loss were instantly replaced by lying wide awake pondering his new Tigers role.
The mood for change at Punt Road is obvious after three seasons without a finals victory, Yze tapping into it as he told the selection panel: “If you get stuck in the past, you die in the present’.
But the challenges are obvious.
The club’s one true superstar in Dustin Martin is 32, bookends Tom Lynch and Josh Gibcus spent the 2023 season sidelined and Richmond titans Jack Riewoldt and Trent Cotchin retired weeks ago.
There is a vast talent and leadership drain from the 2020 premiership side.
And yet in this list Yze sees vast promise, even if he concedes the Tigers need a dash of luck” when they continue what he calls a list “regeneration”.
STYLE OF PLAY
“My philosophy is around coaching the player first. Around clarity and connection. You try to coach their heads and hearts, but it’s about contest and defence,” Yze says.
“My philosophy is based around being stable and strong in the contest and letting your offence come off the back of that.”
Yze took his son Noah to Friday night’s preliminary final – great mate and potential coaching recruit Brett Ratten was sitting only 10 metres away – and basked in the spectacle.
(He learnt from Alastair Clarkson footy clubs must remain family friendly, with Yze’s daughter Jasmine growing up playing footy with new Hawks star Jasmine Fleming).
But he also says it was instructive that both clubs kept in the match despite a dour offensively poor game because of their strong defence and contest.
Yze has surely drilled into the stats around Richmond’s mediocre season.
But to the eye the most alarming aspect of the season was the total lack of pressure around the ball.
The club’s DNA – insane pressure at the ball carrier – had evaporated.
Yze doesn’t disagree.
“Yes, but to be fair when you have had success you feel everyone is chasing you so you think you have to tweak your game plan. Richmond in the flag era was easy to scout but hard to beat. So it’s not about trying to create new tricks and new game plans,” he says.
“It’s upskilling players who can get better at those roles in that system. (Richmond) went away from that because they were getting chased (tactically) and they were getting their game plan pulled apart. That’s only my opinion. But I have a clear focus on getting the boys re-energised, which is exciting.”
THE BOOKENDS
Yze didn’t waste any time asking the club’s fitness staff about the availability of the big bloke in the No. 19 jumper.
The good news for Richmond fans is after twin surgeries on his broken metatarsal Tom Lynch has turned the corner.
“It was the first question I asked in the meeting yesterday before the press conference.
Not only is a great player, he is a terrific leader around the club and he can help the young forwards,” Yze says.
“Hearing those words yesterday that he’s progressing really well and out of a (moon) boot and should be ready to get into the pre-season, it’s awesome.
“I flicked him a message yesterday once I heard that. I’m really excited that he’s on the mend but also the impact he can have on the young boys.”
After a wildly exciting 18-game debut season No. 9 draft pick Josh Gibcus tore his hamstring tendon, with a reinfection ending his season before it started.
But Yze says he is off to Dubai to finetune his body with a training program that prioritises injury prevention.
“He is on a program where everything is tracking really nicely,” he says.
“They will even send him overseas to see the experts over there to set a really clear plan for next year. It’s awesome. He’s going over to Dubai. Strong footy clubs look at all avenues. He is progressing nicely and touch wood he shouldn’t miss any of our pre-season. It’s about giving him the best chance to strengthen (his hamstrings) and not go through this again.”
Richmond is attempting to circumvent equalisation policies in the same manner as Geelong – compete endlessly rather than rebuild.
Yet Geelong had Joel Selwood and Tom Hawkins as constants, then brought in the generational midfielder Patrick Dangerfield, then the brilliant free agent Jeremy Cameron.
Geelong are the exception, not the rule, which is why Yze acknowledges the Tigers will need luck in coming years with injury to pull off his mission of bouncing back into the top four.
“If you are in a regeneration phase which we are – and the process was started 18 months ago – you need to give them a clear focus but you need a lot of luck with injuries,” he says.
“GWS had zero injuries at the right time of the year. At Melbourne we started getting injuries to critical players at the wrong time of the year. Tom Lynch and Josh Gibcus were the full back and full forward. So it’s not to say we can’t win, it’s just that if we have everyone available we will be really exciting and hard to play against. But we just need some luck with injuries when we are going through this process. Touch wood we get the best of both.’’
THE CHAMPION
Yze won’t try to change Dustin Martin, but he will ask even more from him at a club that can no longer count on Riewoldt and Cotchin’s sage counsel or on-ground instruction.
He says he will have succeeded if Martin remains a one-club player because he will have created an atmosphere mixing enjoyment and high performance.
He has coached the champions before, with Lance Franklin similar to Martin in his love of the game, his reclusive media nature and his capacity to take the kids under his wing.
Richmond is keen to extend Martin’s deal past next year in an environment where he clearly looked around at clubs including Gold Coast before staying put. Yze said he would love to give Martin the chance to win a fourth premiership but even if he doesn’t there the new Tigers coach believes the triple Norm Smith Medallist has so much to give.
“He was almost one of the first players to send me a message to wish me all the best. He’s an amazing talent and I have some real empathy around Dusty with how big he is in the AFL industry. Coaching Lance Franklin (at Hawthorn) was similar. I have some clarity on how to coach those boys who are under pressure with all the external pressure based on who they are.
“Make it a fun environment to come into in our footy club and that should hopefully be a release for them when they come into our doors.
“Dusty is a Richmond man …. If he could finish his career here. To be fair I will be trying to win some more silverware for him and that would be an amazing way to go out. But if that doesn’t happen, if can go and help Jack Ross become a better player and hand over the baton to Shai Bolton and allow these guys to take the club forward.
“I will be hoping we not only see him next year but for a few more years after that as well.”
Yze said the selfless nature of Luke Breust’s decision to knock back rival offers including GWS after three premierships showed how satisfying remaining at a club in transition can be.
“He’s not the same type of player but I am really close with Luke Breust and he had a decision to make on whether he left the Hawthorn footy club and finish his career somewhere else. But he decided to stay because of his legacy and he wanted to impart his knowledge onto players. I find the humility around that amazing.”
ON THE TOOLS
In an era when senior coaches can become almost EPL-style managers, Yze says it is critical he gets his hands dirty working one-on-one with players.
Tim Taranto and Shai Bolton shared 1160 possessions and 50 goals between them in 2023 so they are not the problem, but both kicked the ball poorly once more.
“I love the art of kicking,” says Yze.
“In my first year I grabbed ‘Trac’ (Christian Petracca) and on our day off we would have a kick at the park. It was just the fun of shaping the footy and the art of kicking and having fun and not being so robotic.
“I love doing it, it gives me great connection with the players and if it was Tim Taranto I could put my arm around him and hone in on the finer parts of this game.
“When you look at the kicking percentages if you play in the wet and have a game plan around surge footy and booting it on, then your percentages suffer. I won’t be looking at percentages about efficiency but if we have good conditions I would expect we are going to share the ball and shift the ball really well and hopefully that way we look a more skilful team.”
Tigers CEO Brendon Gale has already urged greater levels of leadership from Dustin Martin next season, and it is here that Yze spies an opportunity.
“Dusty is an amazing kick so part of his leadership might be helping the players with the kicking program. And imparting his knowledge around the feel of kicking,” he says.
THE YOUNG CORE
Richmond has a core of 12 players with untapped talent including 2021 national draftees Gibcus, Tom Brown (pick 17), Tyler Sonsie (pick 28), Sam Banks (pick 29), and Judson Clark (pick 30).
To put it bluntly, the club’s future finals aspirations will depend upon Yze’s capacity to turn more than just Gibcus into A-grade talent.
Yeah, I can’t wait to coach them and I hope they feel excited by the opportunities,” says Yze of the under-25s.
“There are guys retiring and not only guys on the list, guys who play every week. So there are a couple of positions available every week. As a young player coming into the system when Todd Viney retired or Garry Lyon retired, I was in my third year and thinking, “There is a little carrot there”. So when they rock up on day one we will see guys hungry for those positions. There is a lot of excitement for a coach, knowing there is opportunity and waiting to see who is going to take it.”
Hawks’ plot to climb draft order as stars open contract talks
Hawthorn cashed in its assets in this year’s draft to snare Tom Barrass, but is still plotting how it can move up from pick 33. Plus, two big names have started discussing new contracts.
How early-season rejection drove Travaglia to first-round calculation
Tobie Travaglia won a B&F ahead of Harley Reid last year, but was brought crashing to earth after missing the AFL’s academy squad. He reveals how it drove him to becoming a first-round prospect.