Adelaide football director Mark Ricciuto says he had ‘tears coming down his cheeks’ from McLeod’s stinging criticism
Adelaide Crows football director Mark Ricciuto admits he was reduced to tears as a result of Andrew McLeod’s comments, while the club’s CEO says he has reached out to the Norm Smith Medallist.
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Adelaide football director, club legend and hardman Mark Ricciuto was reduced to tears this week while contemplating a torrid two years for his club in the wake of Andrew McLeod’s stinging criticism.
McLeod’s comments attacking the club’s DNA was the latest in a series of crisis the Crows have dealt with since the 2017 grand final including high-profile player departures, the controversial mind training camp, coach Don Pyke’s departure and more recently the Barossa Valley training breach.
In an emotional interview with Fox Footy on Saturday, Ricciuto admitted he was so hurt by McLeod’s comments and wider attacks on his club that he was in tears.
But the Brownlow Medallist and premiership player reiterated his determination to be part of the solution and to help the club regain respect on and off the field.
“Mate I had tears coming down my cheeks two nights ago, that’s how much it hurts me, and I don’t cry too often I can tell you that,” Ricciuto said.
“But I was very frustrated with what has been going on the last couple of years . some things are in our control and some are outside.
“You think about whether it’s worth it (being on the club’s board) because of the time and the state it gets you in when you get frustrated and angry, I mean it takes a bit to get tears running down my cheek.
“But two minutes later I’m thinking ‘am I going to give up and quit at this stage? No way. I’m a fighter, I’m going to help with everyone else to get it back to being a powerful footy club again’.
“If you were on the outside you would look back on the last two years and think ‘what the hell is going on? Who’s running the show?’
“I’m not hiding behind the fact that we’ve had a shocking two years at the Adelaide Football Club after four really good years. The grand final was a bad day and it’s got worse since then,
“But I reckon I’ve said it 10 times in the last year, ‘the tide’s got to turn, the tide’s got to turn’ and we’ve got to do everything we can within the football club to help.
“There’s been a few things we could have done better but you own up to it, work out why it happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again, we’re at that position now … and we will be back being a powerful football club in the not too distant future.
“It’s not easy but we’ll get there.”
Ricciuto said he had a conversation with McLeod this week – who he described as a “great mate” – and admitted he raised his voice in frustration that he had aired his comments publicly before speaking to the club.
“I was really disappointed Andy did what he did and the way he did it, because he’s been working at the club the last seven years and had the ability to talk to me or Rod Jameson or the club to try to influence that lack of culture that he says is there.
“He chose to do it publicly which I don’t agree with and I told him that … I’m happy to say I raised my voice a little bit but not aggressive in any way, I was just really annoyed because he should have the confidence to ring me or ring Jamo (Rod Jameson) and he came out and said it wasn’t anything to do with the players, it was the admin building.
“So it was more frustrating for me, it’s a tough time in footy land because everyone is trying to survive and get members to pledge money just in order to survive.
“At Adelaide if we do everything right this year we’re going to lose $10m, and we’ve got people stood down throughout the footy department and in any footy club it’s bloody hard times and I thought we don’t need supporters going ‘gee what’s going on if their greatest player is not happy?’
“But if he thinks there’s an issue there then I will absolutely face up to it, have a look at it, investigate it and try to make the footy club better.
“He’s a great person, he’s a great mate of mine, he’s done so much for the footy club on the field and I said to him ‘mate, let’s get you involved and you can help shape the culture that you want at the Adelaide Football Club’.”
Ricciuto said the Crows had plans to build an interactive feature celebrating their history at their new headquarters at North Adelaide before they were put on hold by the coronavirus shutdown.
Adelaide lost its Round 1 game to Sydney and returns to the field in a Showdown with Port Adelaide next Saturday night.
Ricciuto has urged supporters to have patience with the “rebuild” under new coach Matthew Nicks.
“We’ve started at the draft the last couple of years and have another couple of years of that and we’ve just got to build our way back, and it’s going to take some time but we’ve got to do it,” he said.
Fagan reaches out to McLeod
Meanwhile, Adelaide chief executive Andrew Fagan says he has reached out to McLeod since his concerns were aired publicly.
AFL legends including Matthew Lloyd insist Adelaide must ‘listen’ to McLeod’s publicised concerns over an ‘unwelcoming’ environment at West Lakes.
Fagan counters the club never ceased engaging McLeod while providing significant financial support since the triple Malcolm Blight Medallist retired after a club record 340 games in 2010.
“Andrew and his wife Rachael have been engaged by the club to run indigenous programs. More recently Andrew coached our AFLW team and worked designing jumpers,” Fagan told The Advertiser.
“I have reached out to Bunji and look forward to learning about any specifics. We haven’t spoken about these matters previously. He has been a key part of history for the club.
“We respect his personal views.”
McLeod’s ‘Bunji and Brettster’ podcast this week doubled down on a lack of ‘authenticity’, sterile club foyer and belief Adelaide could do better.
However, Adelaide’s $65 million move to a city headquarters was scuttled by COVID-19’s financial impact.
McLeod appeared to be spotlighting Adelaide’s leadership including Fagan and chairman Rob Chapman.
Fagan believes speculating on McLeod’s motives is counter productive.
“I don’t want to deal in what he might be saying, prefer to deal in specifics,” Fagan said.
“We have some limitations with our facility and it is hard to showcase our history.
“We were working on a new facility to engage fans 365 days a year and provide a place where all players and fans could interact with all of the heritage.”
Fagan says no club has uniform opinions. Fan favourite Tony Modra has spoken of recent ‘positive experiences’ with the club despite devastation at being axed for the 1998 grand final then shipped off to Fremantle.
Adelaide will respect McLeod’s journey no matter how limited his interactions have been with former players or club staff over the past decade.
“We had all the past captains except Simon Goodwin in a video that went to members, people like Tony McGuinness and Chris McDermott who have stepped away and come back,” Fagan said.
McLeod’s critique of Adelaide continues its torrid time since a 2017 grand final loss that triggered Jason Dunstall’s 2019 football department review.
“We have gone through some change,” Fagan said.
“Through Rod Jameson’s past players committee, heritage committee led by John Reid and coach Matthew Nicks there is great work being done at club.”