Prior to the start of pre-season training next week, Coach Brenton Sanderson chats to afc.com.au content producer Katrina Gill about his first six weeks in the job and his plans for a bruising summer.

KG: Well, you’ve been in the job nearly two months. Are you ready for the start of pre-season training on Monday?

BS: I’m very excited. It’s been pretty chaotic since I got the job. In the first few weeks, I don’t think I really slept because my mind was racing and I knew I had so much to organise with the football department. Fortunately, I’ve had great support from CEO Steven Trigg and General Manager of Football Phil Harper in getting the structure we wanted to have around the players. From my point of view, it’s essential we have the best people around this young group and I think we’ve achieved that in the last seven weeks. I’m excited not just about the list but about the coaches, the development coaches and people like (leadership development manager) Paddy Steinfort, who we’ve brought into the club.

KG: Can you outline the coaching structure for 2012?

BS: Dean Bailey’s title is strategy and innovation and he’s going to be fantastic support for me in my first year as a rookie coach. I’ve got a great relationship with Dean already and he has so much experience. He’ll help Scott Camporeale out with the midfield. With so many players going through the midfield in the modern game it’s good to have two coaches dedicated to that area. ‘Doc’ (Matthew) Clarke will do a lot more work in development because we’ve got so many players under the age of 22, but he’ll also work as a ruck/stoppages coach and will help develop the younger midfielders. Straight out of retirement at Geelong, Darren Milburn joins us as a defensive coach. He’s a great get for us. As a player, he was just so reliable in the way he played and was also a ruthless competitor. He’s got a wealth of experience and has been involved in a successful program at Geelong. He’ll be a great teacher. The players will be drawn to him just because of who he is, but the young players if they’re smart will get around him all the time and ask him questions about how he played because the best way to learn is by soaking up as much of that experience as you can. ‘Bicks’ (Mark Bickley) will be the senior assistant. He’ll pretty much coach the coaches and will also coach the forwards and team attack. Every time we’ve got the ball, basically it’s Bicks’ baby. He’ll look at how we move the footy and the structure of our forwards ahead of the ball. His relationship with Kurt Tippett and Taylor Walker is pretty important. (Development coach) Tate Kaesler will work with Bicks looking after the forwards in a development role. Peter Jonas will head up development and will also look after the developing backs, so we’ve really beefed up that area of development and there’s a good blend of youth and experience in the coaches. It’s all fallen into place exactly how we wanted.

KG: Just on Dean Bailey. Did you request to have a senior-type assistant to help you in your transition to senior AFL coach, or was he just a good fit?

BS: It was a bit of both. The enormity of the job, I don’t think any rookie coach can be ready for. Steven and Phil were fantastic in saying, ‘we might be able to have access to these sorts of people. Who do you like?’ I was keen to get Dean because I knew him pretty well. We spent a year together at Port Adelaide (in 2006) and kept a strong friendship after that. He’ll be great for the group. I just know he’s the perfect fit for the profile of our list.

KG: What can the players expect when they return for the start of pre-season training on Monday?

BS: Like players at every other club, they have to expect a solid pre-season. The players I’ve spoken to - and that’s most of them - understand that it’s going to be really difficult because with a change of coach(es) and game plan there’s going to be a lot to learn. It’ll be like going back to school for a lot of players because there’s so much information they’ll have to absorb and understand initially. There has to be a physical element attached as well. We’re going to really ramp up the boxing, wrestling and grappling. We don’t just want to do mindless running, which I know most players dread in pre-season. They can expect a lot more physical contact and a lot more one-on-one drills. We also want to throw in more match simulation, so that the players understand the game plan by training it over the summer. Almost every training session will have some sort of match simulation attached.

KG: What’s the theory behind the boxing and wrestling? Is that an influence from your time at Geelong? Or a deficiency you see in the team?

BS: We have to become a more physical side. In finals, games are won with contested ball. You only have to watch the Grand Final or the preliminary final between Collingwood and Hawthorn. Both games were just ferocious and were nothing like the home and away season games. In the end, it was the stronger and more physical teams that were the winners. You’ve got to have great strategies in place, but at the same time you have to have players who know how to win the hard footy. We’ll just become a bit more attuned with punching and hitting each other and learning how to control space and feel comfortable in that physical environment.

KG: And skills are another area you’re keen to develop among the players?

BS: South Australian football sides have always been really skilful no matter if it was SA versus Victoria in State of Origin, or Crows versus Carlton. I’ve always thought South Australian football teams have been highly skilled. I think it’s something we have to maintain and can be a trademark. We want clubs to know that if they’re going to play the Adelaide Crows, the Crows will chop them up with their skills by hand and foot. We want to be really slick and clean and great decision makers. Part of my coaching philosophy is to develop a really skilful and tough side with a team-orientated attitude that is really hard to play against.

KG: Obviously, these changes won’t happen overnight. They will take time…

BS: Certainly. It’s different too now because the game is no longer played in time and space. We can practice our kicking all day long, but unless we put players under game like pressure they’re not going to improve. Part of the process will be simulating match-like pressure at training. Coming from Geelong, I know they train exactly like they play. I know it’s a cliché, but it was one of their strengths and we’ll try and simulate that here.

KG: You mentioned you’ve met or at least spoken to most of the players. Have you tried to learn about them, or will you wait and form your own impressions?

BS: I’ve tried to see or speak to as many players as I can just to develop a relationship, but I’ll rely on Bicks, Doc and ‘Campo’, who have been around the club a few years. I’ve had some great meetings initially about how to coach certain players and what to expect from certain guys, but I’ll have to form my own judgements. Leading up to Christmas there’ll be an element of getting to know the players. I have to go in with my eyes wide-open and the players will have to do the same. They’ve probably heard stuff about me. They might be wondering if I’m going to be hard or soft, or if I’m going to scream and carry on. They’ll have to just wait and see…

KG: You haven’t appeared fazed by anything so far … are you the type to yell and scream?

BS: I can be very angry. Even as an assistant coach at Geelong I could let loose. Hopefully, it doesn’t get to that stage too often.

KG: You mentioned in your first press conference that you expected a “quick spike” in performance at the club. Where is that improvement going to come from?

BS: The improvement will definitely come from the younger players. There comes a time in your career when you have to take someone’s spot. You can’t be 27 or 28 years old on and AFL list and playing SANFL football. Those players under the age of 22 need to grab someone’s spot and be ruthless in doing it. Internal rivalries need to exist. They need to exist in a healthy manner, but if you want someone’s spot you’ve got to go after it. I think that’s the mentality successful clubs have. We’re mates and there’s a great culture, but there’s a real rivalry amongst individuals at the club.

KG: You’ve also brought across Rob Harding in the role of ‘pro-scouting/opposition analyst’. Can you explain Rob’s position?

BS: We’re at a disadvantage. Because we’re based in Adelaide and all our coaches are here, we just can’t see as many live matches as the Victorian clubs do. Rob sees the game so well and he’ll be our eyes on the east coast in particular. Being based in Melbourne, he’ll see a lot of live footy and will also be our opposition analyst. He’ll fly across the country and look at all our upcoming opponents. Rob will present to the players and the coaches our upcoming opposition, so we can be a bit more professional in our preparation in terms of our opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. He’ll also look at industry trends and how the game is evolving.

KG: How have you settled back into life in Adelaide? It’s been a while since you’ve been here.

BS: I’ve spent most of my time at the football club, but it’s nice to be back around my family and I’ve got some old friends here. Unfortunately, at the moment all I do is think about football which is not that healthy, but I’m loving every second of it. It’s a big challenge ahead, but something that I’m really looking forward to. People around the club have been fantastic in their support and if you’re  Crows supporter or member you should be looking forward to the 2012 season.

KG: Most Crows supporters and members, or SA footy fans in general don’t know too much about you. Are you still getting around town unnoticed?

BS: Yes, it’s been great. I can go anywhere at the moment. I can go the coffee shop, the bakery and supermarket without anyone recognising me, but I understand it’s a high-profile position here and I won’t be walking around in a baseball cap and dark sunglasses or anything … maybe, after a few losses! Hopefully, that doesn’t happen. Seriously, the people have been great. Prior to now, I’d only been home for one year (2006) in the past 15 or 16. It’s been really nice.

KG: How is your lovely partner Veronika coping with the change?

BS: She’s still in Melbourne, but she’ll be coming over after Christmas. I think she understands the demands of being an AFL coach. I’ve got to get my priorities right at times. Sometimes footy has come first, which is probably not how it should be.