Fremantle assistant coach Peter Sumich on Adelaide Crows’ short list to replace Brenton Sanderson
ADELAIDE has targeted Fremantle assistant coach and former Eagle Peter Sumich in the wake of Brenton Sanderson’s sacking.
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ADELAIDE has targeted Fremantle assistant coach Peter Sumich in the wake of Brenton Sanderson’s sacking.
Sumich, 46, is on a short-list as a Crows panel — to include new chief executive Andrew Fagan — hunts for a replacement for Sanderson, let go on Wednesday with two years to run on his contract.
Sumich, the West Coast Eagles’ all-time leading goalkicker and a two-time premiership star, was midfield coach when the Eagles won the 2006 flag under John Worsfold.
Sumich confirmed last month that he had not given up hope of a senior appointment after a decade as an assistant to Worsfold and the past three seasons under Ross Lyon at the Dockers.
The 46-year-old assistant coach is emerging as a potential new-version of Ken Hinkley, having been linked to several senior vacancies in past seasons but failing to graduate past the interview room to a head-coach role.
Hinkley, in two seasons at Port Adelaide, has proved that being overlooked was no impediment to AFL success.
Sumich said he had not lost the hunger to coach after missing out on the Eagles senior job last October to Adam Simpson.
“Whatever bobs up I am willing to do whatever it takes to get it if it suits me,” he said.
Sumich needed permission from Dockers management to start discussions with the Crows and won endorsement from Lyon.
“Peter has always made clear his ambition to one day be a senior coach and we would not stand in his way if the opportunity arose now or in the future,” Lyon said.
Other candidates for the Adelaide job include Crows premiership captain and current assistant Mark Bickley, who was caretaker after Neil Craig’s axing, Sydney assistant Stuart Dew and former Adelaide defender Nathan Bassett.
Crows board member Mark Ricciuto, who is putting together the shortlist, contacted Worsfold, but he immediately ruled out a return to coaching.
The Crows missed signing favourite son Simon Goodwin when he took a five-year assignment at Melbourne.
Geelong dual premiership coach Mark Thompson has declared he would not consider the Crows job because of the manner in which they discarded friend and former Geelong assistant Sanderson.
Fagan this week refused to be drawn on candidates but said the club would not “jump at the first shiny thing that comes our way”.
“It’s a competitive marketplace all the time, whether it’s with players or coaches and this is no different,” he said.
“We’ve got to move through our process and do it quickly, but make good decisions.
“What we do know is that everyone in the football industry knows we’re looking for a senior coach. It’s not as though we’ve got to put an ad in the paper.
“People are contacting us, we’ll contact people and we’ll look to identify the right candidates.
“I’m confident that the strength of this football club is a significant drawcard, the talent in the list is a significant drawcard and the support we’ve got in the city is a significant drawcard.
“People will want to come and be part of this football club so we’ve got a significant strength there — and we intend to play it.”
Originally published as Fremantle assistant coach Peter Sumich on Adelaide Crows’ short list to replace Brenton Sanderson
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