Chapman says Port's revival influenced the decision. Credit:Mal Fairclough "I've said it often, Brenton is a good coach, strategically, tactically, game-day he's very, very sound," Chapman said. "But there are a lot of things that go into making a good coach. "He's very good in the media, his external communication was good; I think [his lack of internal communication] was feedback he's received. "That was something he needed to improve on … I think he would acknowledge that."

As the fall-out from Sanderson's shock axing after three years continues, the club has remained steadfast that the decision was based purely on a disappointing end-of-season review that led the board to believe the Crows were headed down the wrong path. In a frank admission, Chapman said Port Adelaide's outstanding revival had contributed to the decision. "With Port's resurgent, it has made us step up to the plate even harder," Chapman said. "We have got to continue to be rigorous and have higher expectations. It's been good for us, it's been good for South Australia and good luck to them." The sacking has also been strongly linked to club great and recently appointed board member Mark Ricciuto, but Chapman took exception to that view, and to the suggestion Ricciuto had become a "king-maker" at the club. "Mark has been a board member three months," Chapman said. "He is learning the ropes. Don't attribute this decision to Mark; he is one of four people who were involved in the review and seven people on our board and equally we are all accountable for that decision."

Chapman said had Adelaide made the finals, it probably would not have saved Sanderson's job. "I don't want to go into the hypotheticals," Chapman said. "But the questions (in the review) would not have changed and therefore the answers wouldn't have changed and the conclusions we reached probably wouldn't have changed." Sanderson took Adelaide to within a kick of making the 2012 grand final, but then felt the brunt of the club's draft penalties in the Kurt Tippett saga, lost assistant Dean Bailey in 2013 when he was suspended for 16 matches following an investigation into Melbourne's alleged tanking and, sadly, when Bailey died earlier this year. "I have acknowledged those things… he (Sanderson) has been dealt some poor hands with those things, things that were outside of his control," Chapman said. "There are things that coaches can control, and we've made a decision that we are going to look for a new coach who, hopefully, can help us achieve what we have set out to all along."

Loading Chapman said it had not ben easy breaking the news to Sanderson. "I genuinely feel for Brenton," he said. "This is never easy. You have to do it with all the empathy you can muster." He said the club was yet to finalise a shortlist of candidates for the job.