They say everyone needs a good mentor…

For Taylor Duryea, that is exactly what he is willing to become for Richmond’s young crop of Tigers.

After calling time on his decorated playing career, where he accumulated two AFL premierships, Duryea has joined the Club’s coaching ranks as a Development Coach (Backs) for 2026.

One defender who has caught his eye is young gun Josh Gibcus, whom Duryea is excited to help elevate his game to the next level.

“It’s a really good young mix...a player like Josh Gibcus, who is really highly talented,” Duryea told Richmond Media.

“Obviously, he has had a lot of poor luck with his injury history and things like that.

“That was sort of similar to me when I started, whether it was injury or form, it took a long time to get going, so to potentially help someone like him through similar challenges, or guys in similar positions, (is exciting).”

Having played 219 AFL games between Hawthorn (118) and the Western Bulldogs (101), Duryea hopes to draw on his own playing experience to help guide Richmond’s youngsters through their football journeys.  

“I felt like I was a natural leader in a sense and good with my voice and instruction, but as you get older, you start to develop stronger relationships and work out how you can influence people around you,” Duryea said.

“The last two years of my playing career, I was starting to put more focus into upskilling myself and getting myself a little bit more ready for coaching.

“As this year played out, I was pretty certain that it was something I wanted to do, and I’m really fortunate to have landed in this position.

“In the development space, there are so many young guys to propel us forward as a Club, and for me to work directly with them is really exciting.

“Hopefully I'll be able to build a relationship initially and then help those guys with some of their craft.”

During his eight-season tenure with the Hawks, Duryea built strong relationships with now Tigers' head coach Adem Yze and former teammate Luke Breust, who will also take on the role of Development Coach in 2026.

“I worked really closely with Yze, initially as a Development Coach and then for a period of time as my Assistant Coach in the backline, so I have worked with him for a number of years,” Duryea said.

“Punky (Breust), I have known for not just for my time at Hawthorn, but we used to play state footy together in Under 12s, which was an eternity ago.

“Also, (Development Coach) Jack Ziebell, who I went to boarding school with and grew up in a similar area, so the development crew I have strong connections with.”

Duryea will begin work at the Swinburne Centre when the playing group commences its pre-season next month.