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"Cost you the game": Did Yze get it wrong against Crows?
Jaiden Sciberras • August 11th, 2026 8:40 am
Adelaide survived the scare of a lifetime, edging out a relentless Richmond by a whisker in inclement conditions at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.
And while the Tigers do deserve credit for their admirable fight, Kane Cornes couldn’t help but feel that two coaching decisions – or lack thereof – cost Richmond an invaluable win.
Putting the microscope on under-fire head coach Adem Yze, Cornes believes that two of Adelaide’s superstars were permitted too much freedom on the night, ultimately spelling danger for the lowly Tigs.
“There were two pivotal coaching moves that were made, credit to Matthew Nicks,” Cornes told SEN Fireball.
“He put Jordan Dawson behind the ball because Richmond’s small forwards were getting in and behind them time after time.
“He put the best player behind the ball, ‘play as that wicket keeper’… and Adem Yze did nothing.
“He thought ‘we’ve got Nick Vlastuin up the other end and he’s pretty handy, so we’ll go spare v spare’.
“That wasn’t going to get it done, particularly when they needed to chase the game.
“Then, Izak Rankine had, for me, the best individual game I’ve seen this year. His third quarter, it reads 12 disposals, one goal, eight contested possessions, three clearances in that third quarter.
“We start the last quarter and you’re going; there’s only two people that are going to win this for Adelaide; it’s Rankine and it’s Dawson.
“Do you know what Yze’s plan was with Rankine? ‘I’m going to put Sam Lalor on him. I’m going to start Dion Prestia at centre bounce on Rankine – can’t run – and I’m then going to put Lalor at the first stoppage on Rankine’.
“This is what I don’t get with coaching… why do coaches not take something away?
“I don’t know who it was, but I don’t really care who it was, it definitely wasn’t Lalor, who couldn’t really run on the night unfortunately, is not quite fit enough, in the last quarter on Rankine. I just don’t get it!”
David King echoed the sentiment, praising Rankine for racking up 36 disposals at 83 per cent, plus 18 contested possessions, 11 clearances, seven inside 50s, six tackles, five score involvements and a goal.
“It was a special performance (from Rankine),” he said.
“When you let that style of player take the game from you, you really want a good reason.
“When you sit down this morning at match committee – the Monday’s experts discussion – someone will say, ‘how’d we go with Rankine?’ It has cost you the game!
“They are the things that anger me. They are intelligent people, these guys.
“You can’t have a group of six to eight coaches and come up with a plan that actually suits the Crows. I don’t understand that.”
“He saved Nicksy.”
*Cornes:* “Him and Dawson saved Nicksy. Without those two, you just don’t win that game of footy.
“This is the disappointing thing for Richmond; there were a lot of positives out of that game.
“It was as good as I’ve seen them play for a long, long time. But I think the coach cost them the game.
“I can’t question the effort of some of the players. Seth Campbell is a gun.”
*King:* “They got everything that they wanted.”
*Cornes:* “Everything. Even to the conditions!”
*King:* “The whole package. It was everything they wanted, and all they had to do was one or two things. It felt like it went for 30-40 minutes. Are they going to address this or not?”
*Cornes:* “I couldn’t believe it.”
*King:* “People come at me for being a bit harsh on Yze, but I think you get limited opportunities to win games, and when you are right there, that’s when I want to see it.”
Listen to the full discussion below:
