Fresh off signing a two-year contract extension that secures his tenure at Tigerland until 2028, Coach Adem Yze has wasted no time sharpening his side’s ability around stoppage and contested ball work.

 Yze identified this as an area that needed improvement based on the 2025 season, and he is confident that he has the cattle to make it a damaging part of the side’s game.

“We want to play an exciting brand, like we always have at this Footy Club,” Yze told Richmond Media.

“You’re trying to score, and then you are trying to be defensively stable, and at the same time, be really potent around stoppage.

“You are constantly evolving based on your list profile, so right now we are looking to really coach and hone in on our stoppage craft - we have a talented midfield, and I feel like we could have a huge advantage.

“I think it is our job as coaches to understand that and how that could be our strength, and I’m really looking forward to getting a spike in that, like where we sit in our metrics aren’t good enough with the talent we’ve got in that area.

“So, there are subtle things that we are going to be shifting - we want to be defensively stable and hard to play against and then be really potent around stoppage.”

Yze emphasised the importance of fast-tracking the development of Richmond’s young crop to ensure they can compete with the league’s best.

Excited by the potential of the young list, Yze aims to implement new ways to get the most out of his players, working closely with his coaching staff.

“Most years when the first-to-four-year players come in, you usually only have about 10 players. Right now, we have about 20-odd,” he said.

“It's pretty cool for our coaching staff, but at the same time, we need to change the way we are thinking and really double down on the development and the finer details of their execution.

“So, we went away as a coaching group and wanted to bring back something to our playing group that was fresh and vibrant, and just give them the opportunity to fast-track the development of their game, not just our system.”

After committing to Richmond for another two seasons, Yze said he was grateful for the opportunity to lead the Club and is optimistic for the future.

“Contract extensions are something you try and sort out in the background, but to get that done before the start of the season, I’m really grateful for the opportunity to coach this Club for a few more years,” he said.

“At the same time, I’m really excited about this journey that we started last year, and I feel like we are just scratching the surface.

“So, to be able to lock that away and really start to set a plan for the next two or three years as a group, I’m super grateful, and I’m really looking forward to the future.”