Adem Ize is urging his Richmond side to aim high and think like a finals team as they prepare to face Collingwood.
Adem Ise during the 15th round between Richmond and North Melbourne at the MCG, 21 June 2026. Photo: AFL Photos
FITTING second in the league table with two wins from 14 games and managing an injury-riddled playing list, Richmond are in finals mode.
Despite the barren circumstances of their recovery, coach Adem Ize is demanding a September mindset from his side as they attempt to undermine their opponentsโ aspirations.
Their next test is Saturdayโs twilight game against Collingwood, who are in 11th place and half a game behind 10th-placed North Melbourne in the battle for the Wildcard spot.
Just as Ize raised eyebrows this week by declaring that Richmond are a club that attracts big names, he has done it again by touting their ability to finish a tough season in better form.
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Despite it being four years since their last finals series and six years since their premiership ended with three wins, Ize is using veterans from those glory days to push for high standards at Punt Road.
โWe have a theme: if there was a preliminary final this weekend, what would our recovery look like? What would our training standards look like?,โ he said Friday.
โWe need our players to be ready for this.
โOur senior players drive it. They know what itโs like to reach the final series.โ
โWe donโt have the final carrot, but we can have the right mindset and the right behavior.โ
Richmond suffers a terrible defeat by North. The gap was just 25 points, but the Tigers scored just six goals in sunny conditions.
โThere is a lot that can be achieved and, to be honest, we need to improve on our results from last weekend,โ Ize said.
He is keen to raise the profile of their games for the rest of the season and the Tigersโ potential to be a pre-final fly in the ointment for their opponents.
โWhen we come up against teams fighting for a place in the eight and we have a chance to deny it, I will put that pressure on them,โ he said.
โThis weekend we will test ourselves. We want to give Collingwood some competition and play a bit of flair in attack.โ
Richmondโs injury crisis is starting to ease. They will bring back Ryan Mansell and Jack Ross, with several other players returning to the VFL.
He said the mood at the club was good and once again identified Punt Road as a potential new home for someone like Port Adelaide star Zac Butters.
โWeโre a big football club in the heart of Melbourne,โ he said.
โWhen all these very talented players (in Richmond) start playing football together, it will be very exciting.โ