‘Way too early’: Jacob Surjan speaks after shock North Adelaide axing

A shocked Jacob Surjan says he was “blindsided” by his brutal axing from North Adelaide, believing he could have revived the Roosters’ finals hopes this year.

• SANFL shock after Surjan sacked

Axed North Adelaide coach Jacob Surjan has revealed his “shock’’ at the timing of his dismissal, believing it was “way too early’’ and that he could have revived the Roosters’ finals hopes this year.

Still reeling from being shockingly culled by the Roosters just six rounds into the 2025 season, Surjan said he knew he was walking on thin ice in a contract year but that he was “blindsided’’ at being pushed out just a third of the way through the season with North sitting sixth on the premiership table with a 2-4 win-loss record.

“I thought Round 6 was way too early to make a decision and that we still had time to get everything up and going, but unfortunately the club thought differently,’’ Surjan told The Advertiser, adding he did not feel he had lost the respect of the playing group.

Jacob Surjan during his final game as North Adelaide coach against Sturt in Round 6 at Prospect Oval last Sunday. Picture: Cory Sutton/SANFL

“I was in a contract year and had been having conversations with Craig Burton (North CEO) and Kris Mooney (president) for a while now but I’m a bit shocked this decision has come so early.

“With the amount of injuries we’ve had to key players (including lead ruckman Alex Van Wyk and speedy goalsneak Kelsey Rypstra) and things like that, I felt we could still build from here.

“We’ve blooded some young kids in the past couple of weeks in regards to the way we want to go about our footy, and I was in the office preparing for our next game against Port Adelaide in a couple of weeks when I got told of the decision.

“But I guess that’s the footy industry. The club has made its decision and we move on from here.

“I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity North gave me in terms of starting there as head of development eight years ago and then being able to coach the club for six years.’’

Surjan, 39, led North to two losing grand finals (2020 and 2022) in his six years in charge, posting a 53-44 win-loss record.

But the club hasn’t played finals since losing the 2022 decider to Norwood by a point and sits sixth this season – two wins behind fifth-placed Woodville-West Torrens.

A Perth-born, former Port Adelaide AFL defender, having played 121 games for the Power from 2004-12, he was appointed the Roosters’ head of development in 2018 and was an assistant coach to senior coach Josh Carr when the club won the league flag that year.

Surjan, who coached North’s reserves to a premiership in 2018, replaced Carr as senior coach in 2020, leading the club to the grand final in his first year, which it lost to the Eagles.

Jacob Surjan addresses his charge at Prospect Oval in 2023. Picture: David Mariuz/SANFL

The Roosters lost the 2022 decider at the death to Norwood after Redleg Matt Panos kicked a last-minute goal to pinch the flag from them.

Good mates with Carr, who will replace Ken Hinkley as Power senior coach at the end of the season, Surjan could link up with his former teammate at Port.

He has been a development and academy coach at the Alberton-based club.

“I’d 100 per cent love to stay involved in footy because I love the industry,’’ he said.

Asked about a possible reunion with Carr, Surjan said “we’ll have to wait and see on that one’’.

“I’ll take some time to think about what I want to do but footy’s been a fantastic journey for me and I want to stay involved in it,’’ he said.

North assistant coach Sam Mayes has been appointed interim Roosters coach as the club “commences the search for a permanent senior coach for the 2026 season and beyond’’.

Originally published as ‘Way too early’: Jacob Surjan speaks after shock North Adelaide axing