Adelaide chief executive Andrew Fagan’s ‘slip of the tongue’ leaves Crows staff on outer, not players
Crows boss Andrew Fagan told the media last night the club had plans to axe part of its playing group due to the COVID-19 crisis. But Adelaide says it was all just a slip of the tongue.
Crows
Don't miss out on the headlines from Crows. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Adelaide has denied telling eight players they won’t be at the club next year.
Chief executive Andrew Fagan’s comments on Footy Classified on Wednesday night that “we’ve had eight players we’ve already informed won’t be a part of our future plans’’ because of COVID-19 was nothing more than a slip of the tongue, according to a club spokesman.
The club said Fagan meant to use the term “staff”, rather than “players’’.
Speaking after cutting ties with assistant coach Martin Mattner, who had marshalled the Crows’ backline, Fagan said: “We’ve had a number of really confronting conversations and that was another one with Marty”.
Watch 15,000+ hours of on-demand sports content with KAYO SPORTS. The biggest Aussie sports and the best from overseas. Just $25/month. No lock-in contract. Get your 14-day trial >
“We’ve had eight players (staff) that we’ve already informed won’t be a part of our future plans directly resulting from the impact of COVID-19 and what we understand will be a significant reduction in the football caps that we’ll operate on, not just through this year but into 2021 and beyond,’’ he said.
“They are tough calls on really good people and hopefully they are able to find roles within the football industry in the short to medium term.
“But the issues are real, all clubs are going to emerge with significant debt and we are going to have to right size the industry so we can get out of it in the coming years and return to strong shape and strong health.’’
Dual Sturt SANFL premiership coach Mattner’s departure comes after that of development coach Paul Thomas.
It is understood the other six departures Fagan was referring to are lower profile football department members, including analysts.
MORE NEWS
Former Central District captain Paul Thomas has lost his job as a Crows development coach
The coronavirus pandemic last week forced Port Adelaide to cut five staff members.
Midfield and development coach Scott Thompson, physiotherapist and 2004 Power premiership player Michael Wilson, rehabilitation co-ordinator Daniel Buberis and Melbourne based recruiters Chris Drain and Anton Grbac were axed.
“It’s never easy having to let good people go, especially in circumstances like this when it is of no fault of their own,” general manager of football Chris Davies said.
“It has been widely reported the impact COVID-19 will have on football departments across the entire industry and for us it is starting to become a reality.’’
Fagan said football’s shutdown and subsequent cost-cutting meant player contract negotiations had also been put on hold.
Gun midfielder and reigning club champion Brad Crouch falls out of contract at the end of the season and is a wanted man, but Fagan said under new AFL guidelines, the Crows were unable to offer him an extension at this stage of the year.
“That’s another complexity of this situation,’’ Fagan said.
“The issue is we’re not allowed to even engage in those discussions with Brad or his management at the moment because we’re not sure what list sizes look like, whether there will be an adjustment to the (salary) cap and some of those related issues, so we’ve been asked to put all of those conversations on hold.
“It adds pressure because when those issues are either resolved or relaxed we’re going to have to run really quick in order to get those things resolved before we finish the season.’’
Originally published as Adelaide chief executive Andrew Fagan’s ‘slip of the tongue’ leaves Crows staff on outer, not players