SANFL: Bradley Gotch to stay with South Adelaide as coach
HIGHLY respected coach Bradley Gotch is committed to South Adelaide for next season, dismissing rumours he was leaving the Panthers.
HIGHLY respected coach Bradley Gotch is committed to South Adelaide for next season, dismissing rumours he was leaving the Panthers.
Gotch has been linked to the vacant Norwood coaching role while there has also been speculation he would return to Melbourne.
But the former Port Adelaide assistant, who has been at the helm at Noarlunga for the past three seasons, is contracted for 2017 and he said he was “happy as Larry” at the Panthers.
“I’m contracted at South for next season and I’m sitting at my desk right now looking at my player list,” Gotch said. “I’m also working on what areas we need to work on, and I’ve interviewed the local boys for recruiting purposes.
“I’m happy as Larry at South, there are no dramas there. No one has approached me in Melbourne to coach.”
The Redlegs are searching for a new coach after sacking Ben Warren, a premiership player at the Redlegs who took the club to the 2012 flag.
Gotch worked with James Fantasia, who has replaced Geoff Baynes as Redlegs chief executive, at the Western Bulldogs.
Since joining the Panthers, they were knocked out of the race for the 2014 premiership when beaten by a Port Adelaide side containing 19 AFL listed players in the preliminary final, then lost fifth spot in the final round last season.
After missing out on this year’s minor premiership because of inferior percentage to Woodville-West Torrens, they were beaten by eventual champion Sturt in the qualifying final and Adelaide in the first semi-final. The entire Crows line-up had an AFL contract.
“Sydney has been in two grand finals in three years and lost them both,” Gotch said. “Do we say they are no good, of course not.
“We will analyse this season and see what we can do better. Did we peak too early? There were a few boys off in the finals and I’ll do some work with them individually.”
The Panthers will regain Tarak Redigolo and Ben Haran from the long-term injury list while Jake Veide will miss most of the 2017 season after having a knee reconstruction. The club is hopeful Peter Rolfe will return to the field after a knee injury robbed him of a game this season.