AFL

'Finals like': Desperate Tigers pump up Dreamtime clash

May 22, 2026

Disappointed Richmond players. — Battling Richmond are well aware how much a win over the Bombers will benefit them long term. -AAP Image

Richmond coach Adem Yze is telling his players to treat their 'Dreamtime at the 'G' clash like a final as he plots a path to greatness for the young group.

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The Tigers (1-9) sit last on the ladder and earlier this week released an injury list featuring a whopping 18 players.

With Richmond in the midst of a huge rebuild, finals football is unlikely to be on the table for at least a few more years.

But Yze is excited about the sheer amount of young talent at his disposal, and he wants to use Friday night's match against Essendon as an important building block in their development.

"We don't want to shy away from the fact that while we're going through this rebuild, that big games like this - we have to build them up as if they're finals games," Yze said.

"And for Noah Roberts-Thomson to play in front of a big crowd, and Tom Burton, when we do see the end of that, and we ... do get back to finals, this will be a stepping stone for that.

"So we're going to build up the game. It's going to be a finals-like atmosphere, and we need our players to get ready for that."

Yze says being able to experience the atmosphere of a heaving crowd while in the early stages of the rebuild will prove invaluable.

"It's all part of belonging on the AFL field," Yze said.

"It's all kind of dealing with the stress and anxiety about playing in front of a big crowd.

"So we can't wait. These young lads get a chance to go and perform on a big stage."

Essendon are also in the doldrums, nursing a 1-9 record and with plenty of heat on coach Brad Scott.

The Bombers have recalled Jade Gresham, Tom Edwards, Matt Guelfi and Ben McKay, with Gresham's presence ensuring there will be an Indigenous player featuring in the Dreamtime clash.

"The Indigenous contribution to AFL footy is profound and it's a good time to talk about the fact that we want more Indigenous players playing our game," Scott said.

"We want to create better pathways to make sure that we've got the next Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti or the next Michael Long coming through.

"It's a game we're privileged to be part of and it's really important that we, as an industry, try to support those pathways to get more Indigenous players playing AFL footy."

Long, who played 190 matches for Essendon during a glittering career, will address the Bombers' playing group before the game.