Sanderson to copy Cats in the middle

Brenton Sanderson at home with wife Veronika and their dog Max. Source: The Advertiser

BRENTON Sanderson's insatiable appetite for wisdom from American professional sport constantly uncovers gems.

The Crows coach's latest pearl comes from Bud Grant, the man who coached (or dictated) the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL across 18 consecutive seasons.

"He said `every successful coach needs a patient wife, a loyal dog and a great quarterback'," recalled Sanderson.

"I think in the AFL you need a patient wife, a loyal dog and an A-grade midfield."

Sanderson needs that A-grade midfield this year as Adelaide will be challenged to prove to its detractors that the Crows rise to a preliminary final last season was not solely based on a soft draw.

His midfield will have to find even more because the movement to Adelaide's attack is no longer a defence-haunting two-card trick of Kurt Tippett and Taylor Walker.

Tippett has defected to Sydney. Walker is at risk of being double-teamed.

And this is why Sanderson and his staff have spent so much time in the summer redeveloping Adelaide's game plan.

The playbook seemed simplistic last year - go direct with a long kick and be quick in moving the ball from a contest.

Coach Brenton Sanderson on the go at Adelaide Crows training at Max Basheer Reserve.

Now it needs sophistication.

"The most important thing to add is identifying the opportunities to control our takeaways," says Sanderson, referring to Adelaide's work at hot contests.

"Last year, we were the No. 1 kicking side. We were the No. 2 side at kicking the ball forward. We ranked No. 3 for long kicks.

"That's great. It's very simple. Under pressure, we kicked.

"Now we have to identify the opportunities to control the ball away from high-density situations.

"The best example of that is Geelong, Hawthorn, even Sydney. They don't just kick it out of trouble all the time.

"They actually can identify opportunities to carry the ball away.

We certainly have that A-grade midfield ... and they can still improve

"We spent a fair bit of time doing that over the summer.

"Yes, we will still kick under extreme pressure, but if you can identify opportunities to move the ball away with a bit more method, then we'll certainly look to add that this year."

Sanderson does speak of his midfield with extraordinary faith to deliver.

"We certainly have that A-grade midfield," he says.

"Look at Sam Jacobs, Nathan van Berlo, Patrick Dangerfield, Rory Sloane, Matthew Wright, David Mackay, Scott Thompson, Richard Douglas - we have a great midfield. And they can still improve.

"The challenge for these boys is having the right balance of attack and defence. There are A-grade midfields that I think sometimes play with too much attacking flair that exposes their defence too often.

"But with all the losses we have had to personnel in our defence in the past two-three seasons - and how young we were last year - those midfielders played the right way.

"They put pressure on when the opposition had the ball and helped our defence a lot.

"I like the way we attack and our ability to win clearances. But I love the way those midfielders play defence - that's the sign of a great midfield if you can play with that balance."

Sanderson's view both sides of centre has merit. While so much has been made of Tippett's defection and the challenge it poses for the Crows to establishing a game-winning attack, Sanderson notes there is a big hole behind centre.

"(Defender) Michael Doughty's retirement leaves a lot of cover," said Sanderson.

"He was pretty much an under-rated player and certainly was a player who understood his role and played it pretty well.

"He didn't get much recognition.

"We certainly need to find someone to fill that role," adds Sanderson, who speaks favourably of Norwood draftee Luke Brown.

"There's a lot of talk about who replaces Tippett, but there's a fair bit of competition going into the position Doughty left in defence.

"As a match committee there is that role and other areas we're still scratching our head and we're still moving the magnets on and off the whiteboard all the time."

While how Adelaide looks and how it plays is still to unfold before an AFL world waiting to learn if the 2012 Crows become a one-hit wonder, Sanderson says the attitude of his players is very clear - they hate to lose.

"It has to become part of the psyche of this club," he says. "The players hating to lose was here when I arrived (in October 2011).

"When I walked in the front door, the first half a dozen meetings I had with the players, it was clear they hate losing.

"We have some great young players - Sloane, Dangerfield, Jacobs, Walker - these guys are filthy when they lose. People will say, `of course they are'.

"But for a lot of young players early in their career it's more about them playing well. `It's nice if we win, but as long as I'm playing well, getting a kick and my form is good I can live with defeat'.

"I don't sense that with our young group of players. There is a real hatred of losing. So last year we saw late in games a real desire to win at all costs.

"That, I hope, is going to become part of the attitude of not just 2012 but lives through 2013 and beyond."

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