AFL 2025: Richmond coach Adem Yze on latest debutant Taj Hotton
Richmond coach Adem Yze will unleash 'special talent' Taj Hotton in a variety of roles in his highly anticipated debut on Saturday night.
The Tigers selected Hotton with one of their six first round picks last year despite him missing a chunk of the year through an ACL setback.
Hotton showed why he was once touted to go as high as pick No.1 prior to injury through strong performances in the VFL on return.
With the absence of spearhead Tom Lynch through suspension, Hotton could spend time deep inside the Tigers' 50.
But as Yze sees it, Hotton has the capacity to play deep, high and even pinch hit in the middle of the ground.
'He's just a pure forward, so we can play him at either line. He can go deep, he can play a high-forward role,' he said.
'Then he has pinch hit in the midfield in the VFL the last couple of weeks, so we might see him around the ball late in the game as well.
'We'd like to give him that exposure – whether it's this week or coming weeks.'
The 183cm Hotton can play taller than his height suggests, as he launches at the footy with consummate ease.
Richmond will unveil another one of its top picks this Saturday in Taj Hotton (third from left). Picture: Michael Klein
Yze says Hotton's areal power, craft at ground level and work ethic is why Richmond coaches, players and supporters are itching to see the young talent under MCG lights against Essendon.
'He's a special talent, when you've got the ability to jump and mark like he does and then at ground level do things, it's really hard to coach,' he said.
'It's the reason he went so high in the draft and the reason we rated him so highly going into the draft.
'There's all those things and then there's his work ethic, to get where he is today to be ready to play at AFL level after three VFL games is a credit to him.
'The spotlight is going to be on him like it was on Sammy (Lalor) earlier in the year and like it has been for all our first round picks.
'We've got to help him through that (and) he understands he's got a nice block of games to start feeling like he belongs at AFL level.'
Richmond, with three wins, also welcomes back defender Jayden Short from injury, while Nick Vlastuin will celebrate his 250th game.
Originally published as AFL 2025: Richmond coach Adem Yze on latest debutant Taj Hotton
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