Richmond is delighted to announce it has appointed Adem Yze as the Club’s new senior coach.
Yze, 46, becomes the Club’s 42nd VFL / AFL senior coach following a rigorous appointment process led by Richmond CEO Brendon Gale.
Richmond president John O’Rourke said the board unanimously accepted the recommendation of the panel, which also included Vice-President Henriette Rothschild, General Manager – Football Performance Tim Livingstone, General Manager – Football Talent Blair Hartley, Football Australia Performance Director Paddy Steinfort and General Manager – Football, Melbourne Storm Frank Ponissi.
“This has been a period of significant change for our Club, but with that comes a great sense of excitement and opportunity. We have no doubt that Adem is the right man to lead us into the future,” Richmond President John O’Rourke said.
“Adem brings an enormous breadth of experience to the Club, having played key coaching roles during highly successful periods at both the Hawthorn and Melbourne football clubs.
“He has a deep understanding of the game and what drives on-field success from a strategic and cultural perspective.
“Adem has great energy and is highly competitive, and during the appointment process, it became increasingly obvious that he was a great fit for our Club. He was the ideal candidate, and we have no doubt our playing group will thrive under his coaching.”
Yze said he was incredibly excited by the opportunity that lies ahead.
“This is a Club steeped in history and blessed with a magnificent supporter base. I feel very humbled to have been given this opportunity,” Yze said.
“I can’t wait to meet the playing group and start building towards the 2024 season.”
In a decorated on-field career, Yze played 271 games for Melbourne, winning the 2001 best and fairest before being named in the All Australian team the following year.
He joined Hawthorn ahead of the 2012 season, working across matchday strategy and opposition, specialist goal-kicking, development, and assistant coaching.
Hawthorn played in the 2012 AFL Grand Final before winning three consecutive premierships between 2013-15 in Yze’s first four seasons with the Club.
Yze returned to Melbourne in October 2020, with the Demons breaking a 57-year VFL/AFL premiership drought in 2021, his first season as a key part of their coaching setup. He has remained influential as the Club has finished in the top four the past two seasons.
Beyond this, Yze has mentored emerging Islamic coaches through the Bachar Houli Foundation, a key pillar of Richmond Football Club’s community programming.
O’Rourke thanked all those who had taken part in the coaching process.
“I would particularly like to acknowledge Andrew McQualter, who is a wonderful person and coach,” O’Rourke said.
“He presented well during the process and demonstrated he is a senior coach of the future.
“Andrew took the selfless decision to take on the interim role when Damien Hardwick left the Club, and he has handled himself with confidence and class. He continued to impress during the interview process, and I have no doubt he will be a future AFL coach.”
