Crows address uncertainty, unrest with biggest off-field changes in club history, premiership heroes Mark Bickley, Bill Sanders say
Crows premiership heroes Mark Bickley and Bill Sanders have given a grim assessment of the ‘unprecedented’ unrest at the Crows. But both believe the big off-field changes suggested in the club’s external review can help steer it back on track.
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Two architects of Adelaide’s premiership era believe the Crows’ culture issues and unprecedented club unrest mean major changes need to be made to its football program.
Long-serving former administrator Bill Sanders, who was Adelaide’s chief executive from 1991-2001 then chairman from 2004-08, said the Crows had never been more unsettled and the upheaval of the past three months was sad to see.
Adelaide premiership captain Mark Bickley gave his own grim assessment of the club, ranking it “bottom-four” in the league for player happiness and enjoyment after consecutive years without finals appearances since making the 2017 decider.
Their comments came after Adelaide axed head of football Brett Burton and senior assistant Scott Camporeale on Friday following a six-week external review that highlighted cultural and connection problems.
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The fallout has also included coach Don Pyke resigning and Taylor Walker stepping aside as co-captain last month.
Six players — Sam Jacobs, Eddie Betts, Josh Jenkins, Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Alex Keath and Hugh Greenwood — are likely to switch clubs during the trade period.
Sanders told The Advertiser the past two years would serve as a lesson for Adelaide.
He also called the club’s upcoming appointments of coach, football manager, senior assistant and the new position of head of culture incredibly important.
“The situation the club has found itself in is unprecedented,” Sanders said.
“I know we’ve never been in a position such as this where there’s been so much unrest and uncertainty within the organisation, and it was obvious that change had to be implemented.
“Unfortunately there are victims when this occurs but the club has got to come first.
“Maintaining a proper culture requires a proper management style and I’m not sure that’s been properly facilitated.
“You would expect these changes would be for the better because it gives the club the opportunity to refresh.
“The eyes of the football world will be on Adelaide in this next phase and these appointments are going to be looked at very closely and critiqued more so than ever.”
Sanders said “many, many” people had contacted him to express their frustration and disappointment at the club’s position.
“It’s an indication at the level of unrest from a lot of Crows supporters,” he said.
“It’s important the fans now get behind the club.”
Adelaide underwent significant changes at the end of the 1996 season when Malcolm Blight replaced Robert Shaw as coach and the club dismissed veteran players, including Chris McDermott, Tony McGuinness and Andrew Jarman.
Sanders, who was chief executive at the time and helped lure Blight to West Lakes, said those decisions were more about refreshing the list, rather than improving culture.
But he said they gave the club renewed enthusiasm and belief.
“We had good people and I can’t emphasise that enough that it’s about having the right people around,” he said.
Bickley, who captained Adelaide for four years, including the 1997-98 flags and was later an assistant and caretaker coach at West Lakes, said the new head of culture could play a key role in the club’s turnaround.
“If there was a league ladder for player happiness and contentment and enjoyment … I reckon the Crows would be bottom four,” Bickley told The Advertiser.
“Clearly players got stale and a bit disenchanted last year — they weren’t happy and it wasn’t a great environment.
“That’s being played out right now with the fact there’s players who’d prefer to be elsewhere, so they had to address that.”
Bickley said although there had been a “fair bit of doom and gloom” about the Crows’ on-field prospects for 2020, Adelaide would have enough talent to push for a finals spot.
“You’ve still got (Taylor) Walker, (Rory) Sloane, (Daniel) Talia, Tom Lynch and lots of experienced guys, so it’s not quite a changing of the guard in player terms,” Bickley said.
“Of the top 10 of their best and fairest, (Alex) Keath is the only one who’s leaving.
“They might not be a serious challenger to win the grand final next year and they’ve got to go through the rebirth with Chayce Jones and (Darcy) Fogarty and those kids getting a chance, but I still think they’ll challenge for the top eight.”