Coach Brenton Sanderson spoke to the media ahead of Adelaide’s opening round of NAB Cup matches at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.
Here’s an overview of what ‘Sando’ had to say:
Brenton Sanderson on the forecast hot weather for Sunday …
“It’s a tough one. I know the AFL is talking about restricting the game time (to 15-minute halves) and giving us more (than two) subs. In only a 30-minute game, with two 15-minute halves we probably won’t see as much of the players as what we wanted to but we understand the first week is an opportunity to have a look at the whole squad and I’m sure we’ll put out a very competitive side.”
On his first game in charge as senior coach of the Crows …
“It’s interesting in terms of how everything is going to unfold and not just how I go with coaching for the first time. We’ve also got some new coaches and players and need to make sure we get the chemistry right, with one eye to round one.”
On how much of the new game style members and supporters will see this weekend …
“You’ll see all of it. You’ll definitely see the Crows playing how we want to play. We’re not going to approach it any differently to how we’ve been preparing during our training sessions. I’m sure you’ll see some difference to how the side has played previously. We can’t flirt with our form. We’ve got to start playing how we want to play. It’ll be a great opportunity for our coaches to review how we play and make any sort of minor adjustment s leading into the first game of the season.”
On how many players are in contention for a spot in the team in round one …
“You can probably say all the guys in the squad this week with the addition of Jason Porplyzia, Chris Knights and Ben Rutten, who aren’t playing, so that’s a total of about 36 players. We feel like we’ve got depth in terms of who could play for us in the early part of the season.”
On the NAB Cup approach ...
“We’ve done a lot of match simulation prior to this week. This is just an exciting little hit out for our boys and our fans. It’s short and you play two different teams. We have an option to play 34 players, which we won’t have any other time. It’s a good look to have a broad look at our squad and the guys who deserve to play. We’ll narrow our focus in week three or four of the NAB Cup and try to get our best side together until round one of the regular season.”
On free agency …
“I like free agency for the individual … but now being a coach I like the idea of not having free agency. We have to live with it now and if there’s an opportunity for a player to take his craft elsewhere I guess that’s the freedom he has now. It could certainly help every team. It could help the stronger sides in the competition. We’ve got some people working behind the scenes and having a look at it. I’m sure as it unfolds towards the end of the season, we’re going to be disappointed if we lose players but we might also have the option to get some players in. It’s an unnecessary distraction and I know there’s going to be a lot of talk about free agency in the second half of the season. We’ve got some players coming out of contract too, which I know is going to be a distraction for us as a Club and those people individual but it’s just the nature of the beast. It’s difficult because players will be put in positions where they’ve agreed to terms (with another organisation) and are still playing at their existing (club). I’m not a big fan of players or coaches coming out mid-season and saying they’re going to play for another club the next year. It’s disappointing for the fans and for the football club. It puts players in a position where they’re treading water, but I’m not sure what the perfect model is.”
On holding closed training sessions once a week …
“We’ve got three of our four training sessions open to the public each week. We think we’re fairly inclusive when it comes to allowing our fans to come and watch us train. At the same time, as senior coach I’d like to have one day a week where I can train with the players behind closed doors to work on structures and strategies without opposition coaches here. There was a classic example for us pre-Christmas where we were training on Max Basheer Reserve and the Geelong coaches were standing on the boundary line with notepads watching us train. That’s unfortunate for us and wouldn’t happen in any other sport.”
How far have you progressed in terms of delivering on your plan for the Club …
“We’re really close to playing the way we want to play. Whether that’s good enough, only time will tell. We’ve spent a lot of time educating our players on a new way to play. Having said that, they’re not wholesale changes. Fans aren’t going to sit here at AAMI Stadium on Sunday and think, ‘wow, this is so different’. It’s still going to be a really competitive style. Hopefully, it’s a style that wins us games.”
On how hard the transition to senior coach has been …
“It’s been about a million times harder than I thought. Footy consumes your mind all the time. I’m really fortunate I’ve got some good people around me and a good support network behind me here at the Club. I’ve had some great support from management too in making sure we’ve got the right resources at our disposal. It’s a fantastic Club to work at … and I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else.”
