Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson says he’s disappointed he lost his cool and pushed one of his players during an angry spray last weekend.
Sanderson says he went over the top at quarter-time of Sunday’s AFL loss to the Western Bulldogs, when he pushed defender Ben Rutten and pointed the finger at several other players.
“I’m a bit disappointed that I let myself get to that level,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
“I should be a bit calmer in those situations but sometimes the anger and emotion spill over the edge.”
Sanderson said his response to Adelaide’s sluggish start against the Dogs, who kicked seven goals in the first quarter, was “as animated I have been with this group.”
“I pointed the finger at about six or seven guys but as a group we needed to be sharper than what we were,” he said.
“I will probably be on a few highlight reels of coaches’ sprays and be remembered for the moment I lost my cool at Etihad (Stadium).
“Hopefully we don’t get to that point where we have to have coaches and staff losing their cool.
“But at the same time, it was short and sharp and then it was back to business and strategy.
“I’m probably not the only coach to have lost his cool early in a game.”
Sanderson said Crows players had no issue with his outburst, but he later sought out Rutten.
“I caught up with Truck (Rutten) who was the main one that got caught on vision,” he said.
“But you have got to pick your targets – he’s one of our senior players and most experienced player.
“I wouldn’t do it to a first gamer or second gamer or one of our younger players because you know you would lose them for the rest of the match – but Truck was one you knew you would get a response from.”
Sanderson, who played 199 games for Geelong under coach Mark Thompson, said the fallout from his rant evidenced how football had changed.
“If you ask some of the Geelong boys, we used to get sprays like that at training from Mark Thompson,” he said.
“A generation on, you probably have to be a bit more calm and ensure you don’t lose your cool too often.”
