Richmond Tigers coach Adem Yze unhappy with ‘frustrating’ talk of stars’ futures

FIRST-YEAR Richmond coach Adem Yze admits trade speculation surrounding signing pair Shai Bolton and Daniel Rioli has been frustrating as the Tigers try to turn around a brutal season.

Bottom-placed Richmond faces critical list management decisions around its premiership-winning stars.

Liam Baker is expected to join West Coast or Fremantle and the Eagles are also tracking free agent Jack Graham – with Yze understanding their situations given they are out of contract.

He is less than happy with talk of Bolton, who is contracted until 2028 but has been linked with a return to Western Australia, and Rioli, who is in the Gold Coast’s sights despite being signed until the end of 2027.

“As I’ve said all along, he (Bolton) is a contracted player. He’s one of our best players and at the moment he’s got a long-term deal with our football club, so until that changes, yes, he’s a must. ,” Yze said after Sunday’s 63-point hammering of Hawthorn at the MCG.

“When we’re talking about guys who are out of contract like Liam Baker and Jack Graham, I understand, but when we’re talking about players who are on long-term contracts who are contracted to our football club, it gets a bit frustrating.

“Liam will make that decision. Jack Graham has that decision. He has a contract in front of him, they both have. They will make that decision in due course.

“And as I said, the other two (Bolton and Rioli) are contracted players and in demand at our football club. It is what it is.”

Despite the check, Bolton was among Richmond’s most influential players on Sunday, with Yze hailing his “pressure and defence”.

Yze admitted his first season felt “a bit tight” and a longer year given what the injury-riddled Tigers had been through.

Richmond close their season against Gold Coast at the MCG next Saturday as they wage an unlikely battle to avoid a first wooden spoon since 2007. The Tigers are four points and a percentage behind second-placed North Melbourne, who play Hawthorn.

Richmond will bid farewell to retired champion Dustin Martin on Saturday.

“It’s going to be around that, obviously celebrating one of our best,” Yze said.

“It’s our last home game. We want to finish the right way, all kinds of things.

“But at the same time, our team is going to be different next year, whether it’s those players you’re talking about or the fact that we have guys retiring and we have to make some decisions on our roster. anyway.

“You want to make your supporters and our Tigers army proud, but at the same time we will have different players wearing the jumper next season.

“So we want to finish strongly and put on a really good performance for our supporters.”