Nathan Broad has not yet told Richmond he wants to depart the club at season’s end.

AFL Media’s Cal Twomey reported on Wednesday that the 33-year-old defender is “looking to move back to Western Australia” and that both Fremantle and West Coast “are aware of that”.

Tigers coach Adem Yze says he has not spoken to Broad, who is out of contract this year, about his desire to get back to Perth but does admit that time will inevitably come.

Yze praised the triple premiership defender for the leadership he has shown during the club’s ongoing rebuild.

“Well, he hasn't told me personally,” Yze said of the WA native on SEN Breakfast.

“To be fair, I don't know if that's correct. But what I do know is he's out of contract, he's 33 and he's from Perth and that will be at some stage part of his next journey.

“So right now, like I said, he hasn't mentioned anything like that to us or to me as a coach. What I do know is he's a terrific leader of our footy club. He's so invested in the boys.”

Yze referenced last weekend’s trip to Perth where the Tigers beat the Eagles for their first win of the season.

He said Broad was one of the key drivers of the victory which came after gun youngster Sam Lalor injured his Achilles at training in the lead-up, suggesting just how invested he is in this group.

“Going over to Perth, he was one of the driving forces of dealing with what we were dealing with,” Yze added.

“The boys landed, then found out Sammy Lalor wasn't playing. So they were there before the coaches got there. At the (dream) dinner, the leaders really drove the connection the night before we got there.

“He’s so invested in us. He's been a terrific servant of our footy club. So if he does decide at the end of the year, whether he goes back home to go and play or just to go and coach or just to take his family, Tayla and Samara, back over to Perth and move on with life, that will be his decision.

“We’re just so grateful to have him right now and whatever he decides at the end of the year we’ll obviously help him with whatever he decides to do.”

Would the club fight to keep Broad for 2027?

He highlighted the need for experienced players to continue guiding and nurturing the youngsters through their learning phase.

“No doubt, right now, he's playing really good footy. He was really important for us on the weekend. He's still got some good footy in him,” the coach said further.

“There's no doubt that we would offer him to stay because, while we're going through what we're going through, while we're trying to get games into our younger players, those older lads that have won premierships and they've got that experience are so important to have at our footy club. Dion Prestia, Tom Lynch, Nick Vlastuin, the knowledge that they're imparting on our players. We as coaches are trying to fast-track the development of our boys, but our lads out on the field are doing that a lot quicker than what I could do.

“So even on the weekend with the close game scenario, we started throwing up signs and making sure that we were in the right positions and setting up certain structures and systems. Our (older) lads were already setting that up out there.

“Those leaders were driving that and they're really important to have so no doubt we'll be having those discussions.”

Yze, Broad and the Tigers will be looking at back-to-back wins when they meet the Adelaide Crows at the MCG on Sunday.

Broad has played 177 games in yellow and black, including seven so far in 2026. He was recruited as a mature-age player with Pick 67 in the 2015 draft.