NEWLY-APPOINTED senior coach Brenton Sanderson has vowed to turn Adelaide's fortunes around quickly, saying he expects a rapid "spike" in the club's on-field performance.
Sanderson, 37, beat West Coast assistant coach and raging favourite Scott Burns, as well as caretaker Mark Bickley to be appointed as Neil Craig's successor on Monday.
The former Geelong assistant and Port Adelaide development mentor will start at West Lakes immediately after rejecting an offer from Cats coach Chris Scott to stay with the club until the end of the finals series.
The Crows recorded a club-worst season (seven wins and 15 losses) in 2011, missing the finals in consecutive years for the first time.
Sanderson dismissed the doomsayers' prediction Adelaide is destined to spend more time near the bottom of the AFL ladder, saying the club could be competitive with a few changes to its game style.
"I think success will be a very quick spike at this football club," Sanderson said in his first press conference as coach on Tuesday.
"I've seen how quickly things can change with a new senior coach coming onboard and I was very bullish about the list.
"There are a lot of players here aged 22 or under, and I think we'll see some great improvement in them, and this footy club very quickly."
Sanderson arrives at Adelaide after five seasons with powerhouse Geelong.
The South Australian committed to making the Crows a more physical team, but said he wouldn't necessarily attempt to replicate the Cats' attacking and skilful style of play at West Lakes.
"I've got a huge influence with my history at Geelong, but it would be foolish for me to come here with the Geelong playbook and put an Adelaide Crows sticker over the top," Sanderson said.
"It's important we play a way that suits us … and that wins premierships.
"That might be a little different to Geelong, but there's a certain way you have to play if you want to win games in this competition, and I think I'm really clear on what that is.
"When you leave a match having watched the Adelaide Football Club, I think you would've seen a physical contest. I think you'll see a side that plays contested ball, a side that defends first and a side that's got great disposal efficiency.
"I also think you'll see a side that is organised and planned, and a side that is ruthless.
"I've admired Adelaide from afar for a long time with the way they go about things on-field and off-field, but the level of competitiveness has probably dropped away in the last 18 months.
"I think with a really tough pre-season and a lot of hard work we're going to quickly find ourselves back where we belong."
Sanderson - a member of the inaugural Crows squad - played six games for the club in 1992-93 before being traded to Collingwood as part of a deal that saw utility Brett Chalmers return to SA.
Sanderson only made four appearances for the Magpies, but forged a successful career at Geelong, playing 199 games and winning the club's best and fairest award in 2001.
The former Sturt junior said it was a homecoming of sorts returning to the place where his AFL journey started nearly 20 years ago.
"You've got to have a thick skin and you can’t take things like that [being traded] too personally," Sanderson said.
"I'm a really determined individual. I've had setbacks throughout my whole career, but I know what I want to do and what I really want to do is coach the Adelaide Football Club to premiership success.
"With the way it's ended up, I couldn't be happier."
Katrina Gill covers Adelaide news for afl.com.au. Follow her on Twitter: @AFL_KatrinaGill
