Adelaide star Patrick Dangerfield has angrily denied speculation that Brenton Sanderson’s sacking from the AFL club was player-driven.
Dangerfield said he felt for the deposed Crows coach, but backed the decision to axe Sanderson and insisted it came from the board.
There is talk that Wednesday’s dramatic events came after senior players made clear their unhappiness about the coach.
Crows chairman Rob Chapman has flatly denied Sanderson’s departure was a case of the tail wagging the dog.
Dangerfield, the first Crow to talk publicly about the sacking, also insisted this was not the case.
“Let me make this clear – we are not a football club that is run by our players,” Dangerfield said on Channel Nine’s The Footy Show.
“(It) was not a decision made by the players. It is simply incorrect. As players we are certainly consulted on how we can get better. But I never met with the board.”
Dangerfield said he had spoken to Sanderson since the sacking.
“I have a really good relationship with Sando,” he said.
“I’m not going to go into what we discussed, but I have a huge amount of respect for him.
“It’s never a situation that’s enjoyable; no-one wants to see someone lose their job, because it affects more than just that individual.
“But at the same time, it’s an industry that’s all about performance.”
Dangerfield and fellow senior Crows Taylor Walker and Rory Sloane are in business partnership with club board member Mark Ricciuto.
Again, Dangerfield rejected any suggestion that the quartet had spoken about the need for Sanderson to go.
“We have conversations throughout the year about how we’re playing, but we’re never specifically discussing should we sack the coach or not – no, absolutely not,” he said.
“It’s not how we do business, it’s not how Roo does business.
“We discuss how the pub’s going, how the club is, how we can improve.”
Dangerfield said players would also leave the club because Adelaide had missed the finals for the last two seasons.
“Not playing finals will not be tolerated by our football club,” he said.
“That’s what we’re here to do.”
Dangerfield said the players would back the decision to sack Sanderson, but added that was for the sake of club unity.
“I can say it 100 different ways, but at the end of the day, it’s a decision made by the board,” Dangerfield said.
“Do we support it? Absolutely.
“As a club, we must stay unified if we are to get back to the performances … we reached a few years ago.
“And we stay unified – but at the same time, we’re to perform and that’s the bottom line.”
asd
Guest
Danger and him got a long allright. But he doesnt know what the other players wrote on there report cards . sando did seem to have alove affair with half a dozen players . must have ignored the other ones
vocans
Guest
+1
Olivia Watts
Roar Guru
So, what are we supposed to believe? Someone somewhere must have had what they considered good reason to fire Sanderson, as well as enough clout with the Board to bring that about. I wish that someone, or someone's, would now take ownership of the decision and clearly explain Sanderson's areas of perceived deficiency. Nothing destroys a club like rumour and innuendo; the Crows owe their fans, players and sponsors a clear explanation.
Daza
Guest
Of course senior players voice their opinion when things are not going right; and every time the team is playing below expectations, the coach goes. The board might have made the decision, but you would be nieve to think the senior playing group didn't say 'something' about the way they had been coached throughout the year when asked.
Radelaide
Guest
The media here in Adelaide are busting.
vocans
Guest
This leaves us with 'communication breakdown' which is unspecified and always a vague couple of words. Sometimes they are weasel words disguising someone's responsibility. What kind of communications didn't work? That's what fans want to know.