With Adem Yze set to make his coaching debut with Richmond in Saturday’s opening round match against Gold Coast at Heritage Bank Stadium, here is a list of how Tiger coaches have fared in their first game in charge, dating back to the Club’s ‘Immortal’ coach Tommy Hafey.
1966: Tommy Hafey – defeated Carlton by six points at Princes Park.
1977: Barry Richardson – lost to Fitzroy by 14 points at Junction Oval.
1979: Tony Jewell – defeated South Melbourne by 14 points at Lake Oval.
1982: Francis Bourke – defeated Fitzroy by 41 points at Waverley Park.
1984: Mike Patterson – lost to Footscray by 39 points at Whitten Oval.
1985: Paul Sproule – lost to Essendon by 17 points at Windy Hill.
1988: Kevin Bartlett – lost to Melbourne by 46 points at the MCG.
1992: Allan Jeans – lost to North Melbourne by 66 points at Waverley Park.
1993: John Northey – lost to Adelaide by 94 points at the MCG.
1996: Robert Walls – lost to Essendon by 18 points at the MCG.
1998: Jeff Gieschen – defeated Essendon by 14 points at the MCG.
2000: Danny Frawley – defeated Melbourne by two points at the MCG.
2005: Terry Wallace – lost to Geelong by 62 points at the MCG.
2010: Damien Hardwick – lost to Carlton by 56 points at the MCG.