The Adelaide Crows would have gone from bad to worse if they didn’t sack coach Brenton Sanderson, the AFL club’s great Mark Ricciuto says.

Ricciuto was part of a Crows group which axed Sanderson as coach on Wednesday, despite him having two years to serve on his contract.

Ricciuto, who joined Adelaide’s board three months ago, confirmed senior Crows players were a major factor in the removal of Sanderson.

A senior core of players heavily criticised Sanderson in post-season interviews after the Crows missed the finals for the second year in a row.

“We spoke to all the key people that you need to speak to that the coach has got to have relationships with if it’s going to be a successful football club,” Ricciuto told Triple M radio on Thursday.

“The players were one of those groups and obviously form part of the reason why he’s not there from next year onwards.”

Ricciuto, club chairman Rob Chapman, head of football David Noble and board member Andrew Payze were the group that reviewed Sanderson and concluded he must be sacked.

“I’m one of a number of guys that have done a review and come up with a conclusion that we had to move on the coach,” Ricciuto said.

“When you do a review and have a look at what has happened and what could happen, you have got to make a decision which is good for the football club.

“And I would say if we didn’t make this decision, things could go from bad to worse like they have at other times in the Adelaide Football Club when we have had coaches moved on halfway through a season.

“I know how easily it can unravel.”

Asked if Sanderson was a good coach, Ricciuto, a former Crows captain and the club’s only Brownlow medallist, replied: “You don’t get sacked if you’re otherwise, do you.

“He is a good coach in some ways, I feel. He is a good bloke. But to be a good coach you have to be good at a lot of things.

“Win-loss at the end of the day dictates it but it’s about getting so many things right in your football club.

“If you want to be a premiership football club or be in the top level of finals for a long period of time, you have to get a lot of things right as a senior coach.”

Sanderson was expected to hold a media conference later Thursday.