Adelaide Crows external review complete: Scott Camporeale, Brett Burton axed as part of structural changes
Adelaide Crows head of football Brett Burton and assistant Scott Camporeale are following Don Pyke out the door at West Lakes after the club released the findings of their external review.
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Adelaide has axed head of football Brett Burton and assistant coach Scott Camporeale as key actions in a long awaited external review which includes a series of recommendations and significant football department change.
A 50-page report compiled by Australian Football Hall of Famer Jason Dunstall, Fremantle great Matthew Pavlich, high performance expert Tim Gabbert and psychologist Jonah Oliver was revealed this morning examining the critical areas that impact team performance while creating a blueprint for sustained success into the future.
The club’s board, chairman Rob Chapman, chief executive Andrew Fagan and power broker Mark Ricciuto were found to have performed to expectation. However, weaknesses within the football department were identified.
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The review involved comparative benchmarking and consultation with key stakeholders within the club including players and football department staff, covering coaching, list management, player welfare, leadership, game analysis, player development, football operations and medical. Members of the club’s executive management and board were also consulted.
The report found lack of leadership to be a concern across the playing group which left it culturally unable to deal with the fallout of the 2017 grand final loss and 2018 pre-season camp on the Gold Coast. A new head of leadership position will be created.
Outgoing Crows midfielder Cam Ellis Yolmen identified cultural issues and divides which the review found could be addressed by better internal leadership. Burton paid the price for the failed Gold Coast camp which alienated some players.
Camporeale was axed with Adelaide wanting a fresh path for an incoming senior coach — who will be announced next week.
It noted the decisions of Don Pyke to step down as senior coach with two years left on his contract and Taylor Walker to relinquish the captaincy after five years were unrelated to the review but represented significant change for the club.
Crows chairman Rob Chapman said the six-week externally-led process had been comprehensive and ran in conjunction with a detailed internal analysis, and produced consistent findings.
“The last two seasons have been challenging from an on-field perspective and there have been too many distractions off-field as well, and we needed to clearly identify deficiencies which would shape decision making required to make positive change,” Chapman said.
“We had a clear view on what we believed to be the key issues but for a variety of reasons felt that the involvement of external consultants would help ensure the review left no stone unturned, as well as providing the benefit of a different lens or perspective.”
Chapman thanked Camporeale and Burton for their “significant contributions over a lengthy period”.
“People talk about the club and the human side is often forgotten and I would like to acknowledge the efforts of both Scott and Brett, who are quality people with a great deal to offer the AFL if they choose to continue in the industry,” Chapman said.