Crows’ football department headed for major shake-up and should they be reaching out to Brad Scott to bolster the ranks?
All bets are off at Adelaide and with the football department headed for a major shake-up and calls for coach Don Pyke to be challenged from within, does Brad Scott loom as an x-factor at West Lakes?
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ADELAIDE’S football department appears headed for a major shake-up and amid calls for Don Pyke to be challenged but not sacked next season, does former North Melbourne coach Brad Scott loom as the x-factor they need?
Industry sources have told The Advertiser Scott has been on Adelaide’s radar but the club denies making any approach to him or his manager Craig Kelly who could not be contacted for comment on Monday.
Scott, who parted ways with North Melbourne mid-season after 10 years at the helm, worked with Adelaide’s physiotherapist and research scientist Steven Saunders at the Kangaroos, and was guest speaker at Adelaide’s official luncheon in Melbourne in Round 19.
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A report in Melbourne last week suggested Scott was closing in on a job with the AFL and it’s not known whether he is interested in coaching in any capacity next season or prepared to move interstate for a role.
Adelaide’s internal and external reviews may recommend the club’s football department is restructured next year to either replace Pyke and football manager Brett Burton, bolster the current assistant coaching panel or include a director of coaching role similar to what Melbourne has just done by appointing former St Kilda boss Alan Richardson to work with Simon Goodwin.
Pyke is contracted until 2021 and senior assistant Scott Camporeale to 2020 but no one’s job at Adelaide has been guaranteed until the findings of the review are handed down, and football director Mark Ricciuto has promised change including possibly his own role.
Crows chief executive Andrew Fagan last night said it would be inappropriate to comment on the findings of the review or to pre-empt any changes for next season.
Adelaide’s inaugural coach and respected media commentator Graham Cornes believes Pyke should retain the job as senior coach but needs to be challenged.
“You’ve got to put somebody in that coach’s box who may disagree with the coach, who may make the coach uncomfortable, who may shift him to an area that he doesn’t want to be because he has to consider alternatives,” Cornes said on FIVEaa last week.
“You look at a coaching group and you say to yourself, ‘Is their body of work impressive?’ What’s the answer? Is the Crows coaching staff’s body of work impressive? What’s the answer to that? I’m talking about what we’ve seen this year.
“They have to now look at every other team in the competition. Who’s got the best program, who suits our playing list? And you bring that person in as an assistant coach.”
Adelaide was 8-5 at the bye but fell away badly in the second half of the season with scores of just 44 and 48 against Port Adelaide and Collingwood at home to finish 11th with a 10-12 record.
Speaking after the Crows’ 34-point loss to the Western Bulldogs on Sunday, Pyke was asked whether he had any self-doubt about his ability to continue getting the most out of the team.
“I certainly know from my viewpoint you always self-reflect — is it from a messaging viewpoint what’s going on?” Pyke said.
“There’s no question at times you probably have an element of uncertainty about where we’re headed but my job is ‘right, I’m going forward, let’s go forward and let’s take it in this direction and give real clarity to the group and go from there’.”
Fagan described Pyke as a “quality person and quality coach” who was fully committed to the club’s 360-degree reviews.
“He took us to a grand final two years ago but he is disappointed by our performances over the last couple of seasons and wholeheartedly supports the need to be challenged in our thinking,” Fagan said.
“He clearly has some strong views of his own about what some of those adjustments could be, just as I do and other leaders in the football club.”
reece.homfray@news.com.au