Adelaide star Patrick Dangerfield has vehemently denied that the club's decision to sack coach Brenton Sanderson was driven by senior players.
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Seemingly backing Sanderson's claims earlier on Thursday that players were shocked at the news of the coach's exit with two years left on his contract, Dangerfield stressed that the board was responsible for the move.
"Let me make this incredibly clear: we're not a football club that is run by our players. It is run by the board, by the CEO ... but it wasn't a decision made by players," Dangerfield told Channel Nine's The Footy Show.
"When our chairman refers to key stakeholders in discussions, players are certainly part of that (post-season reviews), but that happens every single season. It happened last year and the year before that.
"Players are always consulted on how we can get better. And that's what good businesses do."
A composed but disappointed Sanderson confronted the media on Thursday and admitted he "fell in love with this playing group" and said no one would be happier if the Crows went on to win a premiership.
When asked why he was given the boot, after chairman Rob Chapman had earlier described him as a good coach strategically and tactically, Sanderson gave a wry grin. He refuted a suggestion he didn't have player support, and that his views and that of the club's board on the direction of the team was going were far apart.
New board member and former player Mark Ricciuto has already claimed senior Crows players were a major factor in the removal of Sanderson after several of them reportedly heavily criticised the third-year coach in post-season interviews after the Crows missed the finals for the second year in a row.
"We spoke to all the key people that you need to speak to that the coach has got to have relationships with if it's going to be a successful football club," Ricciuto told Triple M radio in Adelaide on Thursday.
"The players were one of those groups and obviously form part of the reason why he's not there from next year onwards."
But Dangerfield was at pains to stress that none of his discussions with the Adelaide great, also a business partner, would have led to Sanderson's sacking.
"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. It's not how we do business. It's not how Roo (Ricciuto) does business. We discuss how the pub's going, how the club is, how we can improve ...
"I can say it 100 different ways - at the end of the day it's a decision made by the board. Will we support it? Absolutely. As a club we must stay unified if we are to get back to the performances that what we've set ourselves and what we reached a few years ago. We must stay unified and we will stay unified. But at the same time we're here to perform and that's the bottom line."
Dangerfield had nothing but kind words for the former Geelong defender and assistant coach. "I have a really good relationship with Sando. I'm not going into what we discussed, but I have a huge amount of respect for him."
In regards to his contract with the Crows, Dangerfield stressed he wanted to stay with the Crows when his current deal expires at the end of next season.
"I understand it (the speculation) but it's ridiculous. It's a full 12 months away. Taylor Walker (and) Rory Sloane are in the same position. We love playing at the club. We have a terrific group. We're really well supported. In terms of discussing my contract ... it's premature. We're in a transitional period with our coach and it's not something that needs to be discussed.
"I love the city, I love the club, I love playing there. And that's all that needs to be said."
