A radio rumour – later retracted – pitched the Adelaide Crows’ search for a senior coach into the grand final week limelight.
It turned out, however, to be piffle.
Former Crows player Andrew Jarman told Triple M listeners on Thursday that Hawthorn coach Alistair Clarkson would sign a five-year deal to coach the club.
Clarkson denied the suggestion, laughing that at the same time last year he was reportedly set to join West Coast.
“Not true. I’m not going anywhere,” Clarkson told the Nine Network on Thursday night.
The rumour prompted Adelaide, who sacked coach Brenton Sanderson last week, to issue a statement denying any current link to Clarkson, who will coach the Hawks against Sydney in Saturday’s grand final.
“To suggest the club would contact a rival coach during grand final week is simply wrong,” the Crows said in a statement.
The club was clearly miffed to be thrust into the limelight.
“The Adelaide Football Club will not be providing a running commentary on its search for a new senior coach,” the statement said.
Adelaide have expressed a desire to hire a proven coach but they took another hit with former West Coast premiership coach John Worsfold ruling himself out of the job.
Worsfold joins Essendon’s Mark Thompson and former Brisbane mentor Michael Voss in declaring no interest in filling the vacancy at the Crows.
Worsfold says he won’t coach again next season but is undecided on his longer-term future.
“I have got a massive interest in coaching … but in terms of me stepping back into the main job, that is not on the cards, definitely not for the next 12 months,” Worsfold told SEN radio in Melbourne on Thursday.
“By the time we get to this point next year I will be starting to wonder whether I have finished with coaching altogether or whether I will be keen to get back in.”
The Crows have formed a four-member panel for the initial phase of their search for their next coach – football operations manager David Noble, development coach Alan Stewart and board members Mark Ricciuto and Andrew Payze.
Another two people from outside the club will be added to the panel for the interview stage.
Adelaide chairman Rob Chapman has said the club wants an experienced coach, preferably with premiership credentials, to replace Sanderson, who was dumped after the club missed the finals for the second season in a row.
But the stance of Worsfold, Thompson and Voss leaves thinner options for the Crows, though Hawthorn assistant Brett Ratten, a former head coach at Carlton, has been touted as a candidate.
Assistant coaches Stuart Dew (Sydney), Brendan Bolton (Hawthorn), Peter Sumich (Fremantle) and Nathan Bassett (Essendon) have also been named as contenders.
