Richmond coach Adem Yze has declared it is time for the Tigers to "not talk about what we might become" but "go and become it" next season.

Speaking at Tuesday night's Jack Dyer Medal, Yze referenced two important quotes from his close friend, the late Neale Daniher, who said “when all is said and done, more is said than done” and “the mark of a person is not what they say, it’s what they do”.

The coach drew inspiration from those messages to set a clear message to the Tiger Army about what to expect in 2027.

"We can talk about our list. We can talk about our talent. We can talk about what we’re building. But talk doesn’t win football games," Yze said.

"Our actions will be what we’re judged on. What we do when we’re tired. What we do when we’re challenged. What we do when nobody is watching. That’s what will define us.

"So let’s not talk about what we might become. Let’s go and become it. Bring on 2027."

Reflecting on a 2026 campaign that yielded just three wins, an honest Yze explained how the tough times can help the Tigers grow in the future.

"We know that this year, there were times where we just weren’t good enough, and that’s something as a group we need to own," he said.

"But difficult seasons also tell you a lot about a football club and the people inside it. They reveal what needs to change. They reveal who is prepared to fight. And they reveal standards you need to build.

"We’ve given young players opportunities, we’ve seen players take important steps forward in their careers, and we’ve started to see the foundations of what this team can become. Now the challenge is to turn those opportunities into performance, consistency and, ultimately, winning."

Richmond President, John O'Rourke, reaffirmed his belief in the path the Tigers are on, despite this past season being "clearly disappointing in terms of on-field results".

“Some of the circumstances behind that have been well documented but we don’t offer them up as excuses,” O'Rourke said.

“With the challenges of the year there were still lots of green shoots and growth that we must now build on.

“We understand given the extent of our list rebuild in the last two years that progress will not be linear but we also know from all the evidence on successful rebuilds in the modern era, including ours in the early 2010s, that significant improvement in on-field competitiveness occurs across years three and four, and we can rightly expect to see that from 2027."

O'Rourke added the Club will look to inject more young talent into its list in the coming months, with Richmond's draft hand consisting of picks 2, 20, 38 and 56.

“Strategically we have attacked the draft, as everyone knows, in the last two years and we will do so again this year before Tasmania comes in and effectively takes over the 2027 draft,” O'Rourke said.

“We’ve then got tremendous flexibility to participate in trade and free agency when it makes sense to do so. We can all look forward to 2027 with much anticipation."

Fittingly, O'Rourke ended his speech by asserting the Tigers are "up for the fight", with anticipation already building towards the commencement of the pre-season in early November.