'Heat on everyone': struggling Tigers go to work

Adem Yze is far from the only person under pressure at Richmond and Tom Lynch says the message has been heard loud and clear around the struggling AFL club.

The Tigers went backwards this year, finishing second-last with three wins - two fewer than 2025.

Lynch noted more than a dozen players were training at the Tigers' temporary Waverley Park headquarters on Friday morning, despite this being their post-season break.

Richmond badly need their rich crop of young talent to start stringing games together and overcome the numerous injury setbacks that have plagued the club.

After two poor seasons, there is inevitably speculation about Yze's tenure, but Lynch was blunt on Friday when asked about the Tigers' senior coach.

"There's heat on everyone at Richmond," the veteran key forward said.

"Clearly we need to improve a lot as a footy club - three wins was a really disappointing season.

"If you sat in the 'exits' (post-season player interviews), you'd know that feeling across the board. We are very disappointed and the boys just want to get better.

"To have those young guys on the park, being fit and firing, is going to be really important. They're the future ... the guys are working their arses off."

It has been a big few weeks for Lynch away from football. His wife Olivia gave birth to daughter Kennedy last month and that has meant big adjustments for the first-time parents.

"Sometimes I feel a bit useless," said Lynch, who was speaking at the promotion for Saturday's Cox Plate.

The Tigers key forward is 33 and as with the last couple of seasons, he will approach next year as if it's his last as an AFL player.

He is also pleased that teammate and friend Jayden Short failed in his attempt for a trade to Collingwood.

The initial word from the Tigers was that the popular defender had been fined in jest by his teammates for trying to leave.

"I was rapt he didn't get traded," Lynch said.

"He's a close mate - we'll welcome him back with open arms. He's a great person.

"We love him as a person, we love him as a player.

"The boys tongue-in-cheek said he lost a big contract at Collingwood, so we didn't fine him in the end.

"He would have been disappointed if we didn't joke about it."