Brenton Sanderson is an optimist. And it cost him his job.
Sanderson was appointed coach of AFL club Adelaide for the 2012 season.
He arrived an untested head coach, but with a glowing reputation as an assistant at AFL pacesetters Geelong.
Sanderson was optimistic.
“Very bullish about the list, I think success will be a very quick spike,” he said at a media conference announcing his appointment.
“We will see some great improvement in this footy club very, very quickly.”
Pundits raised their eyebrows. After all, the Crows had just completed their worst-ever season – finishing 14th, missing the finals for consecutive years.
No matter, said the optimist.
The first-year coach, with ex-Melbourne coach Dean Bailey beside him in the coaches box as a mentor, took Adelaide within a goal of a grand final – beaten by five points in a preliminary final.
Then, through no fault of his own, things unravelled.
His star forward Kurt Tippett wanted out. The bitter fall-out unearthed skeletons in Adelaide’s closet: they broke AFL laws when re-signing the key attacker in 2009.
The Crows were whacked by league headquarters: Sanderson’s club was fined $300,000; he lost a chief executive, suspended for six months; lost a football manager, suspended for two months.
But more crucially for Sanderson’s future, he lost two first-round picks in two drafts.
No matter, said the optimist.
“We feel like we have got the right formula for how to play and how to win finals,” Sanderson said ahead of the 2013 season.
But again, through no fault of his own, things unravelled.
His mentor Bailey was banned for 16 games – a suspension resulting from his time at Melbourne when the Demons allegedly tanked.
No Tippett. No Bailey. No matter, said the optimist.
At least he had Taylor Walker emerging as the league’s most dangerous key forward.
Then Walker wrecked a knee in round five and needed a reconstruction, 12 months on the sidelines.
Without Walker’s scoring power, the Crows finished 11th. And Sanderson had no top draft picks to replenish his stocks.
No matter, the optimist said.
At least he’d have Bailey back in the box for a full season.
Then, again through no fault of his own, things unravelled once more.
A sled carrying weights crashed into his captain Nathan van Berlo, rupturing the skipper’s Achilles tendon – his season over, in January.
Bailey was diagnosed with cancer and died in March, nine days before Adelaide’s opening game of season 2014.
Bailey’s death hit Sanderson hard, personally and professionally.
But he remained an optimist.
Even after losing their opening three games, Sanderson remained upbeat – and thus he stayed until the Crows finished 10th.
Many inside and outside the Crows saw gaping holes in Sanderson’s outfit – but not the optimist.
“We’re not far away,” he said.
The optimist repeated his positive outlook to an internal review. Those reviewing didn’t share his optimism. So they sacked him.
