Adem Yze discloses plan for Dustin Martin amid numerous links to a Damien Hardwick reunion.
Richmond has turned down recommendations. Dustin Martin will join the Gold Coast Suns as Damien Hardwick’s full-time successor, the club confirmed.
Adem Yze was officially introduced as Richmond’s new senior coach after being overwhelmingly approved by the board on Thursday night. He beat out interim coach Andrew McQualter for the position.
One of the first questions posed to both Yze and Richmond CEO Brendon Gale was about Dustin Martin’s future, who has been linked to a reunion with Yze’s predecessor, Hardwick at the Suns.
“He had a terrific season, and I can see not only next year, but a fair few solid years from Dusty,” Yze said of Martin, who will be out of contract at the conclusion of next season.
“He is staying. He’s about to play his 300th game, and he understands how significant it is to this football club,” Gale added.
Yze and Gale’s guarantees come after Martin was photographed sipping a coffee with Hardwick on the Gold Coast, raising speculation he could relocate to the Sunshine State.
Richmond’s new coach admitted he began to “second-guess” himself after finishing second in many coaching races before to joining the Tigers.
His appointment at Punt Road comes after close calls at Essendon, where he was beaten by Brad Scott last year, and the GWS Giants, where he finished second behind Adam Kingsley. In 2019, Matthew Nicks beat him out for the Adelaide position.
The 46-year-old recalled the thrill of finally being employed as “a little bit surreal” as he pondered on his prior close calls.
“I learnt that they’re a hard process and actually hard to win,” he told me.
“You start to second-guess yourself on whether you should keep going, but I just didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to go to a stable footy club, a really powerful footy club, and for a young coach to get your players and staff.”
Yze also stated that the feedback he received on his prior applications was “very positive,” despite the fact that he did not get the position either time.
He received a lot of internet admiration for his Twitter messages praising others who had beaten him in coaching races.
Gale expressed condolences to McQualter, who performed excellently in the hot seat following Hardwick’s sudden retirement earlier this year.
“He spent ten years and his heart into this club, and he did an excellent job. He’d be disappointed, of course,” the Tigers’ CEO remarked.
“I’d love him (McQualter) to stay at the footy club,” he said.
“He’s built solid relationships and understands the area. I’d be fine with him staying and being my right-hand man. If he decides to go, he will do so with our blessing.”
Brett Ratten, a former Carlton and St Kilda coach, is also on Yze’s call list, having just left North Melbourne after standing in for Alastair Clarkson during the season.
“Ratts is a mentor of mine, I’ll give him a call this afternoon,” he went on to say.
“We’re just trying to figure out what positions we need to fill. “If he sees an opportunity, he may pursue it.”
Despite the Tigers’ disappointing 13th-placed result in 2023, the team can find solace in the Giants’ march into this weekend’s preliminary final following a comparable poor
“I want our players walking into the footy club thinking they can make top four next year,” he said.
“We will not impose a limit on it. There may be some bumps in the road, but we will be very strong throughout that time.”
Gale continued, “I believe we were unrecognisable at moments during the year.
“I believe Damien (Hardwick) accepted that we can and will play a lot better. “We will not limit what that looks like.”
