Crows ready for a 2020 revival after Jason Dunstall’s cleanout

Adelaide review chair Jason Dunstall believes the Crows are positioned for a 2020 revival after a football club cleanout.

Adelaide assistant coach Scott Camporeale, left, has been axed after an in-depth review. Picture: Sarah Reed

Adelaide external review chair Jason Dunstall believes the Crows are positioned for a dramatic 2020 revival after tackling football department and leadership issues that caused a post-2017 grand final downfall and created “a culture of self-survival”.

Adelaide axed head of football Brett Burton and assistant coach Scott Camporeale following a six-week, 50-page external review compiled by AFL Hall of Famer Jason Dunstall, Fremantle great Matthew Pavlich, high performance expert Tim Gabbert and psychologist Jonah Oliver.

Dunstall said 2017 minor premiers Adelaide’s didn’t need to “reinvent the wheel” after missing consecutive finals series but conceded a breakdown in relationships between some players and coaches “weren’t what they needed to be” and had thwarted progress.

“When pressure builds on-field, everyone feels it. It was really challenging for the leaders, players and coaching group over the last two seasons and relationships weren’t what they needed to be,” Dunstall said.

“Every club faces this challenge, keep tweaking things or fall behind. The Crows tried to keep tweaking things at the end of 2017 and it set them back a bit, the last two seasons on-field weren’t great but there is a playing group that is raring to go.

“We are talking about a particularly strong club. Rob Chapman is incredibly impressive a leader. It is an extremely strong business, the only problem was things didn’t go as planned on field. There is no reason the club can’t turn things around very quickly, compete for finals next year. It is a healthy list, a core group of players who are very impressive.”

Chapman, the club chairman, is now under pressure to extend his tenure beyond next year after a glowing endorsement from the review panel. However, Dunstall maintains a series of recommendations including a new head of leadership and significant football department change were made without fear or favour.

Fans “could have faith in the process”, Dunstall said.

Dunstall’s panel found that:
• A new leadership structure will transform that club and player culture;
• Relationships between some players and coaches weren’t where they needed to be which promoted a culture of self-survival;
• There were tweaks to Adelaide’s approach post-2017 that failed but the club is finals-capable in 2020;
• Chapman is benchmarked as an elite industry leader while chief executive Andrew Fagan ran an “extremely strong business”.
• Players, staff and coaches were totally trusting of the review panel where no topic was off limit.

Burton paid the price for the failed Gold Coast camp which alienated some players. Carlton-bound Eddie Betts also expressed unhappiness at West Lakes.

“I think if there is greater depth of leadership in the playing group there is the opportunity to support each other a lot more so when these issues arise you don’t feel isolated and the pressure,” said Dunstall.

“When you are under pressure, when you starting to worry about yourself.”

Camporeale was seen as too close to former head coach Don Pyke and leaves to give a new head coach a free rein.

Dunstall said this year’s co-skippers Rory Sloane and Taylor Walker did not wear responsibility for leadership concerns at West Lakes.

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