Adelaide Crows sack Sanderson as coach

The Adelaide Crows have axed coach Brenton Sanderson in a shock sacking described as the most brutal decision in the AFL club’s history.

The Crows face an estimated $1.4 million payout to Sanderson, who was contracted until the end of the 2016 season.

Sanderson, who had coached Adelaide since 2012, was axed after a review of the club’s football operations.

Some senior Adelaide players are understood to have heavily criticised Sanderson in post-season interviews.

The decision to sack the 40-year-old was described by Adelaide’s inaugural captain Chris McDermott as “the most brutal decision this club has made”.

“Other people at this football club must fall on their sword for respect to Brenton Sanderson,” McDermott said on his sports show on Adelaide radio station 5AA.

“Decision-makers must also say ‘I’m party to this … I have failed in my duty to the Adelaide Football Club’.

“Brenton Sanderson had enough ticks in the boxes, enough credits up, to see out his contract for the next two years.”

Adelaide chairman Rob Chapman was involved in the post-season review with former club captain and Brownlow medallist Mark Ricciuto, now a board member.

Sanderson was also involved, as was head of football David Noble and another board member Andrew Payze, also a former player.

“Brenton is a quality person and accomplished coach but recent weeks have unearthed a need for change,” chairman Chapman said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Both parties have realised they have different perspectives on where we are at as a footy team.

“It is a tough decision but one the club feels pushes us closer to realising our ambitions.”

Sanderson initially signed a three-year contract to coach the Crows. The deal was extended last December, tying him to Adelaide until the end of the 2016 season.

Sanderson, in his first season in charge in 2012, took the Crows to within a goal of the grand final – they were beaten in a preliminary final by five points by Hawthorn.

But the Crows finished 11th last season and 10th this season.

Adelaide said they would immediately search for a new coach to replace Sanderson, who won 39 of his 69 games in charge – a 56 per cent success rate, the best of any coach of the club.

The surprise sacking comes just two days after the Crows appointed a new chief executive officer, former rugby union official Andrew Fagan.

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