Opinion
Cheerleader or coach? Adem Yze has a decision to make
Kane Cornes
AFL columnistAdem Yze appears to be more a cheerleader than an AFL senior coach.
With Richmond’s fall from powerhouse to last on the AFL ladder now complete after just two wins in 17 rounds, the honeymoon is over for the first-year coach. It’s clear Yze is desperate to be liked by his players and is afraid to publicly hold them accountable for unacceptable performances.
Kane Cornes says Adem Yze is being too soft on his players.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
The first warning sign of Yze’s soft approach came after Richmond were annihilated by 91 points against the Western Bulldogs in round nine. After consecutive defeats of 43 points against Melbourne and 54 points to Fremantle, it would have been reasonable for Yze to criticise his players and send a message that meek performances would not be acceptable. Standards need to be set early in a new coaching regime.
Surprisingly, Yze appeared satisfied with his players’ efforts.
“I just spoke to our players about our effort, and I can’t fault our effort. The boys are trying. It’s like they are trying hard ... I’ve said this over and over that we can’t fault the effort; it’s just the execution and our tackle technique,” Yze said post-match.
This struck a concerning tone. Players could believe the coach was happy with their endeavours in a 91-point loss. It was not a shock that this disaster was followed by a season-high 119-point loss to the Brisbane Lions. At half-time, the score was 13 goals to two. The Richmond players had given up.
What did Yze expect after he had lowered the bar a week earlier? He had become a booster – and was slapped in the face for his cheerleading.
Yze’s approach contrasts sharply with that of successful coaches who don’t shy away from demanding the best from their players, even if it makes them unpopular.
The best coaches are respected, not necessarily liked, because they hold their teams to high standards. They push them to maximise their potential. Yze’s apparent fear of alienating his players seems to have created a lack of accountability. The result is Richmond’s dismal standing.
Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick won six Super Bowl trophies with a demanding and sometimes brutal coaching style. This approach is detailed by former players in the documentary Dynasty, which explores the highs and lows of the Patriots across a 20-year period. No matter what the score was, Belichick cared more about the things they were doing poorly than what they were doing well. He never let them get ahead of themselves.
“Most of the coaches in the NFL are coaching football, but he’s coaching warfare,” says former player Donte Stallworth. In a rare recorded team meeting, Belichick lived this theme.
“Now look,” he says, “I’m not saying we are in a war here, but I’m just telling you, understand how one stupid play, one stupid penalty, one mistake, ends it for us all.”
This ruthless style may not resonate with today’s more sensitive generation, but most successful AFL coaches have a hard edge. They are not looking to make friends with their players.
Geelong coach Chris Scott and Sydney’s John Longmire would not dare praise their players’ effort after a 91-point smashing.
Three-time premiership coach Damien Hardwick did not spare his Gold Coast players after the four-point loss to North Melbourne: “It’s my job as a coach to sit there and demand better because at the moment we’re capable of beating the premiership favourites last week and then this week we let ourselves down.”
Hardwick put it all on the table: “I’m angry, to be fair. As a footy club we’ve got to grow the f--- up to be perfectly honest.”
After a 51-point loss to Fremantle in the same round, Yze approach was the polar opposite: “I just spoke to the players around their effort, I couldn’t doubt their effort... We never turned our toes up, even the way we finished the game. I thought we were equal [for] inside 50s and time in the forward half, things like that. I thought we played the right way, even through [there’s] some frustration, but yeah their polish was just too good.”
This suggests the coach is too comfortable with mediocrity.
Andrew Brayshaw of the Dockers fends off Toby Nankervis of the Tigers.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
In another poor look, Yze celebrated a Shai Bolton goal in jubilation with his players on the bench. He is not a supporter. He is the coach and needs to act like one.
The Tigers’ next five seasons will be painful as they rebuild their list.
They need a coach who will drive them hard, hold them accountable, and refuse to accept anything less than their best. They need a coach, not a best friend.
Rebuilding coaches seldom last more than five seasons. Yze has no hope of bucking the trend unless he changes his approach.
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