Tigers coach Adem Yze has been praised over his bold move to pull down shrines to the club’s premiership dynasty since taking over at Richmond.
The rookie senior coach heads into the 2024 AFL season immediately under pressure to turn the Tigers around after the club slumped to 13th on the AFL ladder last year.
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With Damien Hardwick, Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt all moving on, Yze has been tasked with beginning a new era at the club following its premierships in 2017, 2019 and 2020.
Yze was given the job after the recruitment process reportedly became a two-horse race between him and interim coach Andrew McQualter, following Hardwick’s move to the Gold Coast Suns.
The former Melbourne senior assistant coach has now revealed he has not held back in his decision to push the club forward.
One of the first moves he made was to take down some references to the club’s recent glory years, including one picture of the club’s drought-breaking 2017 premiership.
“I had the luxury of walking in and recognising different photos that are up that might have been (on the wall) for too long and things like that,” he told 7News on Monday night.
“It’s just like we need some clear air here.”
He said he received the support of the playing group’s senior figures before his decision to erase some of the memorabilia around the club’s Punt Round headquarters.
“Why is that in this room? That was six years ago,” he said of the 2017 photo.
“I felt like I was disrespecting people by saying, ‘Does this need to be in here? Can we can we move it? Can we get some blank walls?’ But like I said, the leaders bought into that.
“We had a discussion around it and it was time that that needed to be shifted and almost (covered up) like a fresh coat of paint.”
Demons legend Garry Lyon on Tuesday morning praised Yze for making the difficult call.
“I really like hearing that,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
“That was a long time ago. We’re never going to disrespect them. They’re our heroes. They’ll be hall of fame members for ever and a day. But lets put them over there with all the things we’ve achieved in the past. Lets leave room for something we can achieve in the future. I love that.”
Yze, who played 271 games for the Demons and was an All-Australian in 2002, started his coaching journey at Hawthorn in 2012, winning three grand finals in his first four seasons at the club.
He moved to Melbourne in 2020, before the Demons broke their 57-year premiership drought in 2021.
Yze said when he was announced as the club’s new coach in September that he is immediately pushing his players to make the top four in 2024.
“It‘s been three years since we’ve won a final, so there has to be a subtle change and hopefully I can bring that change,” he said.
“But the foundations of this footy club and the footy team are really strong. And I’m hoping to just bring my knowledge and experience of what I’ve learned … and bring my slant on the way that we should play so hopefully we can bounce back really quickly.
“I get huge upside on what other teams have done. GWS have gone from the bottom half of the ladder to a prelim … that’s what we are going to strive to do.
“I want the players walking into the footy club thinking they can make the top four next year. I can’t wait to get started.”
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