Sacked Crows coach Brenton Sanderson shocked by his axing, but vows to return to AFL coaching

SACKED Crows coach Brenton Sanderson went to work at the Adelaide Football Club on Wednesday morning believing he was planning for next season.

SACKED Crows coach Brenton Sanderson went to work at the Adelaide Football Club on Wednesday morning believing he was planning for next season.

Within hours, he was told to clear his desk.

“I did not see it coming,” Sanderson said on Thursday night, 25 hours after the Crows tore up his contract for the next two AFL seasons.

“We were very much deep into our planning for pre-season ... it was very disappointing.”

Sanderson, 40, leaves the Crows – after three seasons and with the best winning rate (56.5 per cent) of any Adelaide coach – after the club’s end-of-season review put the board and coach at odds.

That review was influenced by key players declaring their concerns with Sanderson’s methods, not only on match days but, critically, with his communication between games.

The rebellious players yesterday were named on radio as key forward Taylor Walker, midfielders Patrick Dangerfield and Richard Douglas and young Victorian draftees Brad and Matt Crouch.

Sanderson last night was unaware of any Adelaide player – including the major players falling out of contract next season, Walker, Dangerfield and Rory Sloane – putting an ultimatum to the board demanding a change of coach.

“I’m not sure, I’m not sure if that was the case,” he said.

“I think my relationship with the players is really strong. I have been really happy with the support of the players in the past 24 hours.

“My phone has been ringing off the hook. There are some emotional players who are really disappointed.

“As I said to those players, I did fall in love with the group – they are a fantastic group. I really enjoyed working with them.”

Sanderson did not detail the reasons that were handed to him by club chairman Rob Chapman and football director Andrew Payze in their meeting at the club’s West Lakes base on Wednesday afternoon.

“Unfortunately,” said Sanderson of the club’s review, “I have lost my job. I respect the board’s decision. I don’t necessarily agree with it.

“I understand that is why boards are in place to make those calls – and I have to live with that.

“That is the way this industry is. It is ruthless. It is very much results driven,” added Sanderson who failed to deliver the Crows to the past two finals series after reaching a preliminary final against Hawthorn in his debut season in 2012.

“I have to now look for another opportunity.”

Sanderson will be compensated with a pay-out nearing $1 million. He has declared a desire to coach again, and revealed he already had been contacted by club executives.

He is expected to join the Collingwood coaching panel to support his best friend, Brownlow Medallist Nathan Buckley.

“I’m still very passionate about coaching,” he said.

“I have a commerce degree and a pilot’s licence, but coaching is what I love doing.

“I will just sit back for a couple of weeks, take a few phone calls and see what opportunities present.”

SANDO ON THE SLIDE

Moments that led to a loss of faith

Round 7, 2014 v Melbourne

Adelaide’s season had gone relatively to script with losses to Geelong, Port Adelaide and Sydney, offset by expected wins against St Kilda, GWS and the Western Bulldogs. But its May 4 home loss to the Demons brought real heat on the coaching department. Sanderson’s decision to highlight injuries and a six-day break began a pattern of what the board saw as excuse making.

“We had spent all of our petrol tickets getting back into the game again, only had two on the bench, on a six-day break coming back from Etihad,’’ he said.

Round 14 v Essendon

The Crows’ coaches’ box is criticised for failing to put the breaks on early in the match as Essendon rams through seven goals in the first 22 minutes. The start proves costly in a nine-point defeat. Two days later, Mark Ricciuto joins the board.

Round 17 v Hawthorn

A two-goal loss to the reigning premier at Adelaide Oval looked respectable but Sanderson’s decision to play four talls in his forward line is criticised in some quarters. The Crows also pay for selecting Scott Thompson, who entered the match with a question mark over a hamstring problem before he had to be subbed out.

Round 19 v West Coast

The Crows blow a golden chance to begin locking down a top-eight place at Adelaide Oval after being on the wrong end of a shootout. Ricciuto publicly criticises the coaches’ box for being slow to tighten up on damaging Eagles Andrew Gaff and Shannon Hurn.

Round 20 v Brisbane

The Crows blow Brisbane away but Sanderson makes what would prove a fatal decision to publicly slam the AFL over its scheduling, with the Crows to play Richmond off a six-day break the following week. The decision angered the board, which saw the comments as giving the players an out before the clash, which Adelaide lost.

Round 22 v North Melbourne

Sanderson perseveres all game with the Luke Thompson-Jack Ziebell match-up, despite Thompson seemingly being outclassed. Ziebell is the matchwinner with four goals as the Roos get up by seven point. “Unfortunately, our options were sitting at home injured, you know - (Kyle) Hartigan, (Sam) Shaw and Andy Otten,’’ Sanderson said.

Originally published as Sacked Crows coach Brenton Sanderson shocked by his axing, but vows to return to AFL coaching