St Kilda president Peter Summers dodges questions about Saints involved in Scott Watters sacking Sam Edmund
From: Herald Sun
November 01, 2013 4:41PMST KILDA has dodged questions over the role of captain Nick Riewoldt in the sacking of coach Scott Watters.
Watters left the club in shock after his contract was terminated following an 8am board meeting today.
Club president Peter Summers denied a rift between Watters and the players or football boss Chris Pelchen was behind the move, which came three weeks after Summers declared Watters safe following an internal post-season review.
"I wouldn't like to talk about specifics or his (Riewoldt's) role in this," Summers said.
"I'd prefer not to talk about who was consulted or who wasn't consulted but Nick Riewoldt, Lenny Hayes and Leigh Montagna are champions of this football club and in the business of football and I'd prefer to leave it at that."
Former Hawthorn champion-turned-football commentator Dermott Brereton slammed St Kilda's decision to sack Scott Watters.
"It's a pathetic decision driven by a certain section in the football department that is cancerous," Brereton told SEN.
"There's a lot of people with blood on their hands tonight.
"They are the most poorly led from the top club. It is the blind leading the blind."
Brereton suggested Melbourne was miles ahead of St Kilda in terms of development and list management.
Meanwhile, the Saints are on leave and Summers said they have been informed of the decision.
He said Watters had been told the reasons for his sacking but they would remain confidential.
"There's been a lot of media focus on the two personalities (Watters and Pelchen) and honestly I think you've overplayed it," he said.
He said circumstances had changed since a post-season internal review that resulted in Watters and Pelchen holding their jobs; Summers said three weeks ago "overall his review is an endorsement that we have the right people in the right roles."
He said today: "We said what we feel at the time, but as it sinks in and as issues emerge then issues become clearer.
"In terms of the issues themselves we met with Scott his morning and we went through the reasons with Scott but they will remain confidential between Scott and ourselves."
St Kilda coach Scott Watters has been sensationally sacked by the club just hours after publically outlining his plans for 2014.
Summers said he hoped a new coach would be in place for the national draft on November 21.
"We have approached nobody," he said.
"Chris Pelchen, our head of football, has been in football a long time and he obviously has a fair idea of who he has in mind, and so would other board members."
Summers said he was not aware of a radio interview Watters gave this morning when the board met.
"It's part of our commitment as a board, we will do whatever we have to do for ultimate success.
"This club is going through a transition, and periods of transition need to be done with a strong sense of purpose."
The Saints released a brief statement at 12.15pm saying: "The club can confirm it has parted ways with the senior coach.
Watters was seemingly oblivious to the looming axe as recently as this morning, appearing on radio.
"The challenges of our list is something that we share on a daily basis. Our list-management committee has done an outstanding job not just this year but over the last two years, we haven't really had top-end selections over the first two years I've been here,” Watters told SEN.
"... We know it's a challenging period but we're also really excited about the quality of player we've brought in.
"When a president sits with you and says we see you as a long term coach, that's enough for me.
"We need to stay really focused on what we're doing coaching-wise through what's a pretty challenging time. I won't deviate from that."
Watters took over as coach after Ross Lyon's shock defection to Fremantle at the end of 2011.
After winning 12 matches in his first year in charge the Saints slumped to 16th on the ladder this year with just five wins.
He pushed hard for a contract extension but the club opted against the move after a performance review conducted by board member and former player Andrew Thompson, amid talk of a rift with football boss Chris Pelchen.
"Andrew Thompson has led the review into football and identified some opportunities we can explore but overall his review is an endorsement that we have the right people in the right roles," Summers said three weeks ago.
"At the end of every season we review every department in the club."
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/st-kilda-coach-scott-watters-sacked/story-fndv8ufg-1226751203723
