New Richmond coach Adem Yze is taking the "impatient" approach in injecting his coaching philosophy and gameplan at Punt Road, while the new Tigers boss has provided an update on the future of club great Dustin Martin and the fitness of spearhead Tom Lynch.
Yze has been tasked with steering the Tigers back toward September after a 10-win season that saw the powerhouse club bid farewell to triple premiership coach Damien Hardwick in May before eventually falling out of the premiership race.
The former Melbourne and Hawthorn assistant is hoping to see his side play with "flair" and "dare" through an exciting and quick-paced brand of football.
A short turnaround between the commencement of the club's pre-season program and the new year has Yze and his team working rapidly to buy into his new credo, with the Richmond coach seeking a buy-in from all areas of the Tigers' football department.
"We're gonna be impatient. So I think we've got to fast track the way that we learn. We have to be experts in the way that we educate, because we do have a limited amount of time," Yze told media.
"We're not going to take that as an excuse for not learning it. If they haven't learned, we haven't taught it.
"There's going to be some ups and downs and bumps along the road, but what I do know is that our boys train really hard and they're really driven to get back to seeing some success.
"We want to let them play with flair. So on offence, we've got to give them the opportunity to go with the game. The best teams play with a lot of speed and with a lot of risk.
"There's no reason why when we win the footy back that we can't play with a lot of dare and risk.
"On the flip side you've got to be really strong in a contest and defensively stable, so we're educating all of that, but I'm rapted our young players feel like they can go and play with some dare."
Yze could start his tenure with the Tigers without Tom Lynch as the Richmond forward continues to recover from a foot injury that kept him to just four appearances this year.
The 2022 Jack Dyer Medal winner is no certainty of starting next season as the club looks to "temper" his return process, with a similar approach being made for young defender Josh Gibcus, who Yze noted is "tracking really nicely" in his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury.
"He had a really tough run last year and right now he's ticking all the boxes," Yze said of Lynch.
"We've just got to temper how quick we get him back out there. If it means that he's not available at the start of the year, then I've got to be really patient with that. We're hoping he will be.
"He'll start to up the ante after Christmas and then we'll just play it by ear. The scans and things that he's been through, everything's been a positive so far."
A significant talking point throughout this year and likely next year as well is the future of three-time Norm Smith Medal winner Dustin Martin.
The Brownlow medallist and champion Tiger turned down interest from the Gold Coast Suns to reunite with Hardwick in Queensland, instead deciding to see out the final year of his deal at Richmond and likely reach the 300-game milestone in the yellow and black.
Martin's lucrative seven-year deal will come to an end at the cessation of next season, with Yze to take a back seat in the star Tiger's decision-making for the future and place a focus on getting the most out of the club great.
"We want Dusty to be happy and we want him to enjoy his footy. We want him to train well and play well," Yze said.
"In the end, as the coach, I'm not going to put pressure on a timeline of him making that decision. It's a big decision for him, I just hope that he gets the right feeling about not only myself but our coaching staff.
"He's obviously an amazing Richmond person and we hope he's a Richmond man forever. That's going to be his decision.
"My job is to give him the environment that he enjoys and knows that he can keep improving."
Yze's career as senior coach of Richmond will start in Opening Round next March against the Suns before a return to Melbourne to face Carlton at the MCG.
