SANFL club North Adelaide to have independent review of football operations

NORTH Adelaide will have an extensive independent review of its football department in a bid to end a 26-year premiership drought for the Roosters.

North Adelaide's Coach Josh Carr. Picture: Matt Loxton

North Adelaide is on the verge of announcing the independent person who will oversee an extensive review of the club’s football operations.

The Roosters have revealed their intention to have a full assessment of the football department as they bid to end a 26-year premiership drought and it is expected to be completed next month.

In a letter to members and supporters of the club, Roosters board of directors president Lee Virgin said the club strives to be the leading SANFL club on and off the field in an increasingly challenging environment.

“While we develop strategies and actions to achieve the successful outcomes we all want, our core business goal (winning SANFL premierships) requires best practice modelling and philosophies to ensure we are positioned to achieve that goal,” he wrote.

He said the board and management had agreed to a recommendation from the football executive to have an external independent in-season review of the football department and related activities of the North Adelaide Football Club.

Roosters chief executive Greg Edwards said the priority of the review was to discuss how the club could “do things better”, and maximising the strengthens and minimising the weaknesses.

“We are one of the few clubs that have not had their football operations assessed and over seen by someone from outside the club,” Edwards said.

“It happens in AFL circles every year and a few SANFL clubs have done it in recent years.

“Changes have happened in the competition and there have been rule changes. We have a vision for the future, we just need someone to come in and assess the processes. It is not reviewing the coach’s performance, it is about what we are doing, how have the changes impacted on the club.

“I’ve worked in a company not involved in football which had a review of its commercial operations. We want to ensure we are on track with our processes.”

The Roosters are bottom on the ladder with three wins. Edwards said coach Josh Carr was working with a young squad and inconsistency can be expected. “Josh has a good plan in place and this review fits in with it because it gives him the support he needs,” Edwards said.