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Career Demon
12:53:11 PM Tue 22 November, 2005
Matt Burgan
Exclusive to afl.com.au
It's fair to say there has not been a more consistent player during Neale Daniher's time at Melbourne than the silky-skilled Adem Yze.
Granted, skipper David Neitz has been the rock that Daniher has built his side around, but the big fella has battled his fair share of injuries along the way.
But consider these Yze facts.
He finished third in the Brownlow Medal in 2002, won the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy in 2001, while he has also claimed triple top-three best-and-fairest finishes in 1998, 2000 and 2004. He was also All-Australian in 2002.
Not to mention, he has played every AFL match for Melbourne since round eight, 1997 - and has played in every match coached by Daniher. Overall, Yze has chalked up 201 consecutive matches and needs just 44 more to eclipse the great Jimmy Stynes.
In 2005, Yze started the season in a blaze of glory. He was a shining light up forward and played that role, rather than rebounding or sweeping off half-back or sending pin-point passes from the midfield.
By the split round, he had 29 goals to his name as a forward pocket specialist and his name was being bandied around for All-Australian selection. But towards the end of the season, his form, along with the team, slipped and his efforts were being questioned.
It was rare for Yze, who has played 233 matches for Melbourne and is equal seventh on the club's games record list with Todd Viney, to be in thrust into this position.
"My second half of the year wasn't up to scratch. I started off really well and then just got pretty stale in the forward pocket and I'm not sure what plans he's (Daniher) got next year, but I know that it's not going to be playing forward pocket the whole year," Yze told afl.com.au.
"You just lose a lot of fitness and you're not as flexible and you can't just go and run in the midfield, because you've just lost that fitness, so I thought I fought back the last few games, but obviously I wasn't happy with the second half of the year.
"It's something that's pushing me for the next coming year."
Although he did not make any excuses for his form, Yze confirmed he had a broken finger and a groin injury during the second half of the year, contributing to his form.
And to make matters worse, by the season's end, Melbourne's vice-captain was out of contract and in dispute.
"Deep down, I always wanted to stay and I really believed that it was going to get sorted out, but it took a little bit longer than I thought it would, so that time of the year, things happen and it's probably the closest I've come to actually leaving the club," Yze said.
"But in my heart of hearts, I was hoping that it would all fall my way and in the end, we both bent a little bit and got it done, so I'm rapt that I got another three years to finish my career here.
"I didn't really want to go anywhere else and I want to be a one-club player and that was exactly what I wanted to do, so it was good to get it done.
"In three years, it'll get me to 30 and I'll be turning 31, so hopefully I can play another couple of years after that, mainly because I can play in different positions and if I was a one position player and I started to struggle, then it's out the door.
"After this (contract), I'll monitor it year-by-year and see how my body is feeling, but I'm hoping to get a year or two after that."
With a further three years assured, Yze is focused on the season ahead and set to silence any doubters. Although he remains one of Melbourne's most flexible players - and is likely to play a variety of roles in 2006 - he believes a return to half-back is on the cards.
"I've started training with the backs now and I think if I can get fit enough to play half-back, it means I'm fit enough to play in the midfield, because you pretty much do the same running," Yze said.
The 2006 season and the following two years will also give him the opportunity to continue his consecutive game streak. But for Yze, the potential milestone remains the furthest thing from his mind.
"I've said it all along, I just want to get out there and play footy. If my body is not right to play and I can't get out there and play, that's fair enough," Yze said.
"I think that it's going to get magnified more now that it is getting closer, but there is no way known I'll be running onto the ground thinking I need to play 20 more games to break Jimmy's record, because I struggle to remember how many games I've played, let alone how games I've played in a row.
"As a player, you set goals on how many games you want to play - 250 or whatever - but there is no way known I'd set a goal to say how many games I want to play in a row, because if there is a situation where I have to put my body on the line and there is a chance of getting injured, I'm going to do it. It's not a milestone I really worry about."
He's been our most consistent player for a few years now, but I want him to stay in the forwardline. When fit he is a matchwinner and off half-back he can rebound well but I think he is wasted there and has no accountability.
12:53:11 PM Tue 22 November, 2005
Matt Burgan
Exclusive to afl.com.au
It's fair to say there has not been a more consistent player during Neale Daniher's time at Melbourne than the silky-skilled Adem Yze.
Granted, skipper David Neitz has been the rock that Daniher has built his side around, but the big fella has battled his fair share of injuries along the way.
But consider these Yze facts.
He finished third in the Brownlow Medal in 2002, won the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy in 2001, while he has also claimed triple top-three best-and-fairest finishes in 1998, 2000 and 2004. He was also All-Australian in 2002.
Not to mention, he has played every AFL match for Melbourne since round eight, 1997 - and has played in every match coached by Daniher. Overall, Yze has chalked up 201 consecutive matches and needs just 44 more to eclipse the great Jimmy Stynes.
In 2005, Yze started the season in a blaze of glory. He was a shining light up forward and played that role, rather than rebounding or sweeping off half-back or sending pin-point passes from the midfield.
By the split round, he had 29 goals to his name as a forward pocket specialist and his name was being bandied around for All-Australian selection. But towards the end of the season, his form, along with the team, slipped and his efforts were being questioned.
It was rare for Yze, who has played 233 matches for Melbourne and is equal seventh on the club's games record list with Todd Viney, to be in thrust into this position.
"My second half of the year wasn't up to scratch. I started off really well and then just got pretty stale in the forward pocket and I'm not sure what plans he's (Daniher) got next year, but I know that it's not going to be playing forward pocket the whole year," Yze told afl.com.au.
"You just lose a lot of fitness and you're not as flexible and you can't just go and run in the midfield, because you've just lost that fitness, so I thought I fought back the last few games, but obviously I wasn't happy with the second half of the year.
"It's something that's pushing me for the next coming year."
Although he did not make any excuses for his form, Yze confirmed he had a broken finger and a groin injury during the second half of the year, contributing to his form.
And to make matters worse, by the season's end, Melbourne's vice-captain was out of contract and in dispute.
"Deep down, I always wanted to stay and I really believed that it was going to get sorted out, but it took a little bit longer than I thought it would, so that time of the year, things happen and it's probably the closest I've come to actually leaving the club," Yze said.
"But in my heart of hearts, I was hoping that it would all fall my way and in the end, we both bent a little bit and got it done, so I'm rapt that I got another three years to finish my career here.
"I didn't really want to go anywhere else and I want to be a one-club player and that was exactly what I wanted to do, so it was good to get it done.
"In three years, it'll get me to 30 and I'll be turning 31, so hopefully I can play another couple of years after that, mainly because I can play in different positions and if I was a one position player and I started to struggle, then it's out the door.
"After this (contract), I'll monitor it year-by-year and see how my body is feeling, but I'm hoping to get a year or two after that."
With a further three years assured, Yze is focused on the season ahead and set to silence any doubters. Although he remains one of Melbourne's most flexible players - and is likely to play a variety of roles in 2006 - he believes a return to half-back is on the cards.
"I've started training with the backs now and I think if I can get fit enough to play half-back, it means I'm fit enough to play in the midfield, because you pretty much do the same running," Yze said.
The 2006 season and the following two years will also give him the opportunity to continue his consecutive game streak. But for Yze, the potential milestone remains the furthest thing from his mind.
"I've said it all along, I just want to get out there and play footy. If my body is not right to play and I can't get out there and play, that's fair enough," Yze said.
"I think that it's going to get magnified more now that it is getting closer, but there is no way known I'll be running onto the ground thinking I need to play 20 more games to break Jimmy's record, because I struggle to remember how many games I've played, let alone how games I've played in a row.
"As a player, you set goals on how many games you want to play - 250 or whatever - but there is no way known I'd set a goal to say how many games I want to play in a row, because if there is a situation where I have to put my body on the line and there is a chance of getting injured, I'm going to do it. It's not a milestone I really worry about."
He's been our most consistent player for a few years now, but I want him to stay in the forwardline. When fit he is a matchwinner and off half-back he can rebound well but I think he is wasted there and has no accountability.
