Crows chief executive Andrew Fagan says a new football manager is priority
The Crows are getting serious interest for their inaugural head of leadership and culture, but chief executive Andrew Fagan says the club will prioritise finding a new football manager.
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The Crows are getting serious interest for their inaugural head of leadership and culture, but Chief Executive Andrew Fagan says the club will prioritise finding a new football manager first.
Fagan told The Advertiser the club was still continuing to seek a new football manager, senior assistant and a head of leadership and culture, to work alongside new coach Matthew Nicks, but fans should not expect an appointment soon.
“I think the head of football position is a primary focus at the moment,” he said.
“We are not ready to make an appointment yet.
“We will take time to find the right person to work with Nicksy and give him the support he needs.”
Fagan said it was likely an appointment for the head of leadership and culture would wait for the head of football position to be finalised.
The creation of the role mirrors what Collingwood did in 2017, with the Pies appointing former player Nick Maxwell to the position.
This has been credited as vital to the Pies making the grand final and a preliminary final in the last two years.
Fagan said the club had received strong interest in the new position.
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“I think the leadership role will probably sit behind that one (football manager in terms of time frame, even though we have had some really good people register their interest,” he said.
“We are looking forward to interviewing people (for the head of leadership and culture) in the coming weeks.”
Rival club football managers Neil Balme (Richmond), David Noble (Brisbane) and Craig Vozzo (West Coast) have all been linked to the Crows for their immediate priority but can be ruled out.
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Speculation also mentioned Neil Craig, who coached the Crows to two preliminary finals while at the helm from 2005-11, and Glenelg premiership mentor Mark Stone were candidates yet both had not been contacted as of Monday.
Dual Norwood flag-winning coach Balme is happy at Richmond, where has been football boss for its past two premierships after success in similar roles at Geelong and Collingwood, while Noble will not be returning to the Crows from Brisbane.
West Coast football manager Vozzo is originally from Adelaide and a former SANFL player, agent and Eagles list boss, who still has family in SA.
But West Coast says he is fully committed there and will be at the club next season.
Whoever fills the vacancies will come in during a transitional period as the Crows prepare to begin their first pre-season under Nicks in the middle of next month and for the national draft on November 27-28.
The Crows are seeking to bounce back in 2020 from two consecutive years without finals.
Adelaide axed football boss Brett Burton and lead assistant Scott Camporeale this month after an external review, then appointed Nicks as Don Pyke’s successor the next week.