Adelaide

Seems like Sanderson's gone.

If that's so, I'd think most of the assistants would go too.

They need a harder edge than they've had and much more game day knowhow, IMO.

Bomber Thompson very strongly linked- but not in a head coaching position..

Must have someone very accomplished lined up in a similar manner to the Freo move a couple of years back you would think.

On the ABC breakfast radio they interviewd Andrew Fagan and I found it interesting when he stated that his key focus would be "to get the right people into the right positions".

Personally I could not more agree and whilst details of why Sanderson was sacked are not yet public I suspect that its been brewing for a while.

There has been a bad culture at the AFC for several years now of the wrong people being employed to fill positions at the club. Their systemic failure to deal with problems at the club under Neil Craig suggested that they were largely impotent when it came to these sorts of issues.

Who knows how much input Andrew Fagan had on this decision today, but I support it for this reason, if the likes of John Longmire or Bomber Thompson where available, you would take the in a heart beat to have the best person in the drivers seat, not the consolation prize because you cannot get what you want.

Sandersons best year was his first year and he was let down badly by the club. I feel that Sandersons strength is with a full strength list. I don't see him as a builder coach which I feel is what the Crows need. Sandersons admission that he needs an experience set of hands to mentor him suggested this to me also.

Lets hope the AFC continue the trend, having got the best CEO on offer, lets see them now appoint a Senior Coach of the same calibre.

Dangerfield has played his last game for Adelaide.

BloodnTars wrote:Sanderson sacked.

Surely Bomber Thompson has been signed otherwise I think it's a strange move.

exactly my first thoughts

Rob Chapman needs to be the next one to leave IMO.

valleys07 wrote:Bomber Thompson very strongly linked- but not in a head coaching position..

was just thinking that myself

The reason I suggest that Rob Chapman needs to be next is the fact that he clearly gave Sanderson endorsement a year ago and gave him another two year contract extension which the club is now reported to be paying out. Speaks volumes about leadership from the board level..

Yet another example of the stupidity of early contract extensions just for the look of it.

I'm hearing Stuart Dew as a coaching name.

Still in complete shock about this, and really really worried about the future. I hope they know what they're doing.

according to AFL 360 this was player driven, Simon Goodwin would be favourite to get it & Adelaide would have to chat to him soon as Melbourne have offered him a 5 year deal & is to be the take over from Paul Roos in a year or so, Bomber won't leave Essendon...................i then thought although it may be a pay cut would they talk to Michael Voss & i'm pretty confident they've already spoken to someone

this market on sportsbet


30 Next Adelaide Coach Markets (1)
Simon Goodwin 2.10 Stewart Dew 2.50 Mark Thompson 6.00
Scott Burns 10.00 Brendan Bolton 11.00 Mark Riccutio 14.00
Brett Ratten 14.00 Shaun Hart 16.00 Michael Voss 16.00
Mark Bickley 16.00 Ben Hart 16.00 Mark Williams 16.00
Darren Milburn 21.00 Scott Camporeale 21.00

bayman wrote:this market on sportsbet


30 Next Adelaide Coach Markets (1)
Simon Goodwin 2.10 Stewart Dew 2.50 Mark Thompson 6.00
Scott Burns 10.00 Brendan Bolton 11.00 Mark Riccutio 14.00
Brett Ratten 14.00 Shaun Hart 16.00 Michael Voss 16.00
Mark Bickley 16.00 Ben Hart 16.00 Mark Williams 16.00
Darren Milburn 21.00 Scott Camporeale 21.00

You would draw a line through these blokes.

Scott Burns was looked at pretty closely at the same time that Sanderson was given the job. Burns stated that he needed another year being mentored as an Assistant Coach. Maybe now the time is right?

If it is player driven, it is a shamozzle of the highest order.

Plenty of sleepless nights for those that have to do some explaining today.

Will be interesting to hear from both parties at the press conference this morning.

It will be. If I were a Crow ( perish the thought ) I'd be pissed that is has become clear they don't have a replacement in their sights.

Bomber Thompson won't come here now, so they are now going to be recycling a Worsfold or McKenna ( if he gets the boot ) or going with an untried Dew or Goodwin.

I'll bet Goodwin gets the job and the boys club will be back in full swing.

Smart, Roo, Goodwin, Bickley....

Gingernuts wrote:Still in complete shock about this, and really really worried about the future. I hope they know what they're doing.

I wouldn't be too worried, Ginge.

This is the right decision, but for the wrong reasons.

First, as I've said an many occasions, this is a mentally weak group, which current events are confirming.  To 'not play' for a coach is, IMO, 25% the coach and 75% the players problem (not exact %'s, of course).  Players who get rid of a coach are mentally not strong as a group, but once a coach has lost the players, it's irreversible.

The players need to toughen up.

I've had close experience of coaches losing the players.  On only one occasion have I seen a coach head it off before it became too late.  That coach told them to harden up.  It worked.

Adelaide needed a new coach (and I'm one to side with coaches against players), not for losing the players, but for coaching that didn't inspire confidence.  When experienced players make basic decision errors and repeat them, and a team consistently loses close games through dumb football, there's a major problem.

The players now have no excuse.  They've driven a change of coach - they have to perform under that new coach, otherwise their credibility is shot.  If that happens, time for mentally tougher players.

What is to be questioned, though, is the failure of whatever leadership group system Adelaide have.  From player mentors, to who is in the leadership group, to their leadership training method and all leadership structures.

The club champion was Daniel Talia.  I don't know whether he was involved.  I hope not, but he was open in his disappointment about the commitment and training attitudes.  He performed on the field, so I take note.

The Board has to take responsibility for the disconnect between giving Sanderson a two year extension and sacking him so early.

Whoever is the new coach, it has to be someone tough.

Nathan Bassett has many faults, IMO, particularly with his personality and attitude to others (just from my limited knowledge only), but he's a great coach and wouldn't put up with any crap.

He may be a very good choice.

I think reports of it being player driven are being blown out of proportion actually.

No doubt they were part of the review, but only one part.

After listening to Roo this morning on the radio I am a little bit more reassured.

That said, there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity. We'll find out which category this decision sits in in 12 months I guess.

Also a side note regarding the contract extension - Roo touched on it when a caller asked the question to him on radio this morning and I get the impression that the extension had performance based clauses in there. I wouldn't be surprised if making the finals this year was one of them.

Sando aside, I really query the Adelaide management / board mentality.

The Tippett saga is still fresh in people's minds and the financial and football penalties imposed. The management has rightly copped the criticism and penalties for those sins.

To then (9 months ago) provide a vote of confidence in Sando with the 2 years contract extension and now withdraw that confidence with its associated $1M+ financial penalty is in my view culpable negligence collectively on the part of Adelaide's management.

That is 2 hefty financial losses in 3 years.

Chapman has been a constant throughout all of this, but there are others too.

I really think they need a broom through the whole place in changing the culture. Perhaps Fagan will do that and perhaps why they employed an outsider with no baggage to bring. However, they also need to look higher up the food chain to the board too.

There are some small things that might point to some management inefficiencies. A small and maybe insignificant example:

A friend of mine has 2 daughters. One works in the Power shop, the other works in the Crows shop. At the Royal Show the Power staff were setting up 3 days ahead of the opening day, the Crows staff only came in the day before and were, as expected under the pump to get it done in time. No biggie?

The Crows girl (at 16) is often left on her own in the city shop to deal with whatever situation arises including disgruntled customers, potential thieves or whatever. IMO that is unacceptable from a WHS perspective.

However, she was even asked if she could cover 2 days this week in the shop. When she said she had to be at school, the manager then asked "could she get the time off". What the?

Yeah I don't know, but when you compare the way the two retail operations are run, there are very marked differences. This is maybe not just a coincidence that Port's retail outlet has been making very significant turnover these last 2 years (obviously helped by there on field success) but their own management has undergone a huge change in culture.

Just as Adelaide's is seemingly looking a bit like a basket case with the management decisions they have been making over the last 3 or 4 years, you could mount an argument that a very big change is culture is also long overdue in Crowland.

It starts at the top...

I think that change will come with Fagan Chambo.

Again I'll say - I get the impression that the AFC won't be owing Sanderson anything. Performance based clauses will come into play, which is smart management.

It seems like a mess because outside speculation portrays it that way, but none of us a privy to what the real substance was behind the decision.

This equates to me with Blight sacking Jarman, McDermott & McGuiness when he first walked through the door. Everyone was outraged at the time, but 12 months later he was lauded a genius, and 2 years after that a football god.

How with this one play out? That is the million dollar question.

Just read an article quoting Chapman saying that he would be paid out in full.

Well, the Club has been criticized for not being tough enough, strong enough, or being serious enough about winning flags. Too much about being the glamour Club off the field without talking the talk on it.

With that in mind, this move is a brutal message by the board and the new CEO (despite not being a huge part of the decision, he would have had to endorse it) to everyone involved with the Club.

One theme in particular has been consistent since the news broke.

Mediocrity will no longer tolerated at the Adelaide Football Club.

While I was initially shocked, the more I hear this, the more I like it.

Is there a case for Roo to step away from his media duties now?

Clearly he is a man with great influence in the board room at West Lakes and while not being president, a hint of Eddie-with-a-media-hat and Eddie-with-a-Collingwood-hat is about.

For his clubs sake, IMO, he should step away from his media role, at least stop the MMM show anyway. Any little quip he makes could and will be construed as a "leak".