The Adelaide Crows have sacked Brenton Sanderson as coach of the AFL club.
Sanderson, who had coached Adelaide since 2012, was axed after a review of the club’s football operations.
After his first year at the helm, Sanderson was viewed as one the competitions best coaches, leading his side to an unlikely preliminary final against Hawthorn.
In 2013 the Crows dropped away, finishing the season with just the 10 wins and 12 losses in 11th place.
Well poised for a finals berth in 2014, the Crows stumbled through a key patch of games, finishing the season in 10th with an 11-11 record.
“Brenton is a quality person and accomplished coach but recent weeks have unearthed a need for change,” Crows chairman Rob 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 took Adelaide to the finals in his first season but missed the play-offs in the past two years.
The 40-year-old 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.
Crows players reportedly heavily criticised Sanderson and some of his assistant coaches in post-season interviews.
The surprise sacking comes just two days after the Crows appointed a new chief executive officer, former rugby union official Andrew Fagan.
asd
Guest
he might end up at the Blues helping micky malthouse
Axle an the guru
Guest
Good wins sealed at Melbourne. My tip for the Adelaide job is Hawthorns Brendan Bolton.
Jake
Guest
No, no you didn't. You might have won it in that delusional purple land you live in.
Don Freo
Guest
I think we might have. Freo is the only club that people talk about.
Jake
Guest
Not Freo
Don Freo
Guest
Bluey is as safe as... No one could have done any better than Bluey. This "sack' mentality is everything that is wrong with sport...that and tall poppy rubbish.
Me Too
Guest
good win - loss record of 59% - the highest of any adelaide coach. i think it's a mix of the player feedback, two years out of finals, and wanting to secure goodwin before he begins a five year term at melbourne. sando to collingwood. bit unlucky but that's footy. is he the first of the geelong coaching dynasty to get the sack?
Don Freo
Guest
That's good. That will mean Dangerfield can come to Freo, releasing Fyfe to CHF. 2015 premiership to Freo. Who won the 2014 premiership, anyway?
Don Freo
Guest
Very good , Luke.
Don Freo
Guest
Nah...we now have the marriage made in heaven. Sando will be Bucks' assistant within the week and Bucks' stamp will finally be on Collingwood. Sando gets his severance pay, gets to coach with his best mate, probably on more pay and Goodwin gets his chance. Win, win, win.
Don Freo
Guest
Well bugger me dead...the first thing you have ever said that is not pure nasty...and it's pretty good. Keep it up, young 'bot and I might still barrack for Port on the weekend.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Is this another case of the tail wagging the dog? I hear the players feedback was a key factor in his shafting and supposedly some senior players in particular.
Jake
Guest
Stupid, Adelaide had Phil Davies and tippet poached from them, two key position players they wanted to put more time into and big Tex had a knee reco? Seems like the inexperienced younger coaches aren't the thing to do anymore. Voss, Hird, Sanderson, primus out, hardwick on the way out, Buckley having question marks.
Slane
Guest
Funny, but I reckon it could be more about this: "Crows players reportedly heavily criticised Sanderson and some of his assistant coaches in post-season interviews."
buzzard
Guest
Simon Goodwin is the new Crows coach!
Shouts Chen
Guest
They should not have sacked him despite his decent win-loss record from 2012-14. What a joke. Perhaps they might find coaches like Andrew McLeod, Brett Burton, Simon Goodwin, Ben Hart and Mark Ricciuto.
Michael huston
Guest
Certainly won't have my shoulder to cry on when their constant staff shuffling comes back to bite them on the bum a la Melbourne. Idiots.
Luke
Guest
I can't believe a club sacked a coach without consulting Caroline Wilson. Gobsmacked.
Mellad Ibrahimi
Roar Rookie
You would suspect Adelaide would have already someone in the waiting. Really couldnt see them sacking Sando, given his decent record, without having a ready replacement. Two years ago sando coached a team that was a kick away from a grand final. Just shows footy can change so quickly.
asd
Guest
this is a interesting decision wonder where sanderson will be a assistant