DOB: 21 September 1977
Debut: Round 13, 1995 against Richmond at MCG
Last Game: Round 22, 2008 against Richmond at MCG
From: Shepparton United/Murray U18, Selection #16 1994 National Draft
Number: 44 (1995), 13 (1996-2008)
Honours:
Best and Fairest - 2001
Best First Year Player - 1995
Rising Star Nomination - Round 11, 1996
Grand Final team - 2000
Victorian State Representative - 2000
All Australian - 2002
Life Member - 2004
International Rules Representative - 2000, 2002
Mark of the Year nominee - Round 16, 2005, Round 21, 2006
Games: 271
Goals: 234
Career Statistics
| Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % | |
| 120 | 1 | 150 | 44.28 | |
Statistical categories led:
Most games in jumper 13
Most goals in jumper 13
Melbourne's interest in Yze was sealed when he kicked six goals for the Murray Bushrangers in an Under 18s final, but he had previous goalscoring form, having kicked 20 goals in Under 16s game after the crowd heckled him for playing in baggy board shorts. The Demons used 2004 National Draft selection #16 on him, and he made his senior debut in Round 13, 1995 as a late replacement for the injured Clay Sampson.
Yze was given a three year contract extension after playing nine games in his first season. He was a regular in 1996, winning a Rising Star nomination for a 19 disposal, 5 goal performance against Fitzroy. In addition to playing in the forward line, he also moved between defence and midfield. In Round 8, 1997, Yze began his streak of 226-consecutive games, while his form continued to improve, thanks to a permanent move to the midfield, which showed his kicking ability was amongst the best in the competition.
One of Melbourne's top performers in 2000, Yze was pivotal in the run to a Grand Final, earning a two year contract extension. He was Best and Fairest in 2001, and his game peaked the next year when he finished equal third in the Brownlow Medal alongside Travis Johnstone, was an All Australian, and played International Rules. That year he led the league with 418 kicks, which only dishing off 72 handballs, and was nearly lured to Carlton as an uncontracted player. They offered $1.2 million over three years, above the $1 million propsed by Melbourne. Despite the gap between the offers Yze re-signed with Melbourne.
In Round 17, 2003 Yze played his 150th consecutive game. He had played through rolled ankles and osteitis pubis, but his streak nearly ended when his wife was due to give birth on the same day as Round 1 that year. She had the baby on the Wednesday before the game and the streak continued. A move to the forward line in 2005 saw him kicking 41 goals, with two bags of five, but contract negotiations broke down after a poor second half of the season and he came close to leaving again. After finishing 10th in the Best and Fairest despite playing every game, he eventually signed for another three seasons.
Yze battled injuries in 2007, and his consecutive game streak ended when he was dropped for Round 2. He returned two weeks later for a career high 38 disposals, but a mid-season groin injury was found to be a hernia, forcing season-ending surgery. He returned for the opening game of 2008, but new coach Dean Bailey was pursuing a youth policy as part of the club's rebuild and Yze only played six games before being delisted at the end of the year. He finished his career with the third most games for the club at the time, one behind second placed Robert Flower.
He nominated for the 2009 National Draft but conceded he was "stuff all" chance of being picked up again, and joined VFL side Box Hill after missing selection. In 2010, Yze joined Shepparton Swans alongside former teammate Russell Robertson. From 2012 he was a development coach and runner for Hawthorn, and became their backline coach in 2015. He remained with the Hawks, after being interviewed for the Adelaide senior coaching role, until returning to Melbourne as a midfield coach in 2021.
Yze's brother Damien was a supplementary list player for the Demons in the late 1990s.
Coach
Only game as coach: Round 7, 2022 vs Hawthorn at MCG
| Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | % |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 |
After serving as a key assistant to Simon Goodwin in the 2021 premiership season, Yze was called on to act as senior coach in Round 7, 2022 when Goodwin was unavailable due to COVID protocols. At the end of the season he was interviewed for coaching jobs at Essendon and Greater Western Sydney but was passed over. At the end of 2023 he was appointed senior coach of Richmond.
| Year | Games | Goals | Brownlow | |
| 1995 | 9 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 19 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 19 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 25 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 22 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 25 | 37 | 14 | |
| 2001 | 22 | 24 | 8 | |
| 2002 | 24 | 19 | 17 | |
| 2003 | 22 | 17 | 5 | |
| 2004 | 23 | 19 | 14 | |
| 2005 | 23 | 41 | 7 | |
| 2006 | 24 | 30 | 5 | |
| 2007 | 8 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 6 | 5 | 1 | |
Tribunal Record
| Match | Charge | Sanction | ||
| Round 17, 1997 | Wrestling | 1 week pay, 1 match payment | ||
| Round 9, 1998 | Wrestling | $1000 fine | ||
| Round 10, 1999 | Charging | Not Guilty | ||
| Round 21, 2000 | Melee | $3500 fine | ||
| Round 18, 2001 | Charging | Not Guilty | ||
| 2002 Wizard Cup Match 2 | Striking | 1 match | ||
| Round 4, 2003 | Unduly Rough Play | Not Guilty | ||
| Round 14, 2004 | Charging | Withdrawn | ||
| Round 5, 2006 | Wrestling | $900 fine | ||
| Round 16, 2006 | Abusive language | $900 fine | ||
| 2007 NAB Cup Round 1 | Attempted trip | Reprimand | ||
Lists
100 Plus Consecutive Games
Coaches
Coaching staff
First draft picks
Life members
Media
Age - 04/07/1995, 07/09/1995, 14/09/2002, 24/10/2002, 24/07/2003
AFANA News - 2001
Links
Australian Rules Football profile
Australian Rules Football Wiki profile
2001 player profile
2003 player profile
Demonwiki image gallery
Draftguru profile
Twitter profile
Wikipedia profile