Bullsh!t. It was talked about long before he coached the crows.
Talked about, yes, informally and as an alternative concept in the media whenever issues arose with managing fringe players under the previous club-based system.
But Sanderson made the reserves sides happen. It was his brainchild to implement a system akin to Geelong and Collingwood who were strong at the time as soon as he was appointed in late 2011. In the the 7 and a bit seasons before him, Neil Craig had been a supporter of the club-based system (somewhat ironically, because as Norwood's coach he often played players in positions contrary to the Crows' wishes) and I'm not aware of any serious public discussion by him or the Crows on the issue, not like the following media statements by Sanderson. Happy to be corrected.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/sando-in-sanfl-reserves-team-call/story-e6frecoc-1226228802287
COACH Brenton Sanderson has signalled his interest in the Crows having their own reserves in the SANFL.
When - and in what format - it would be introduced remains a mystery but what is clear is the former Geelong assistant's desire to control the development of his youthful playing list. "We'll just keep chipping away," Sanderson said.
"I think for the club it's certainly something on the agenda and something we would love to have.
"A reserves side is going to make us better as a football club and a football team."
Sanderson, who is fresh out of a Cats system that includes a reserves team in the VFL, has seen first-hand the benefits of having a seconds side.
Unlike his predecessor, Neil Craig, who spoke glowingly of his men playing in team-orientated environments at SANFL clubs, Sanderson is convinced shadowing the Cats and Collingwood is the way to go.
"Typically the sides which have their own players go back and get coached by coaches who are within the football club, are the ones who have the quicker improvement," Sanderson said.
"For the development of our younger kids it's imperative at some stage down the track we have a reserves side. We understand it's a delicate issue but at the same time, from my point of view as senior coach, we would love to have it.
"But we're not going to shove it down anyone's throat just yet, but we'll keep chipping away at it."
It is understood one proposal being considered is the Crows' reserves side playing whatever SANFL side has the bye, but not for premiership points. But this scenario could lend itself to the SANFL club resting senior players.
Sanderson then continued the rhetoric in mid 2013:
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/crows-reserves-a-must-in-2014-says-adelaide-coach-brenton-sanderson/story-fndv862c-1226658133304
BRENTON Sanderson says Adelaide must field a stand-alone reserves team next year or it will risk falling further behind the AFL's power clubs.
"It's really important from my point of view as a senior coach," Sanderson said as the Crows joined hometown rival Port Adelaide in ramping up their push to field their own side in the SANFL.
"If we didn't get a reserves side up next year we would be, I think, the only team that doesn't send its players to one club. It's massive, it really is.
"I've seen the Geelong model and the Geelong program works so successfully with the development of young players getting drafted and coming through their own system.
"What's important is that if we can get our own team we can actually try and fight that battle against Collingwood, Geelong, Essendon, those sorts of teams that have had their reserves teams up and running for a number of years, which really helps their development.
"I'm not sure where we're at with the negotiation phase of it, getting it up and running, but we'll almost certainly have our own team next year."
The Power wants its SANFL affiliate, the Port Magpies, to be its reserves side from next year.
Sanderson said he'd like his players who aren't playing in the AFL each week to play in one team in the SANFL's league competition.
But he said the main priority is just getting them to play together, even if it is in the reserves. Other options are the VFL and NEAFL competitions, which host Victorian and Sydney and Brisbane clubs respectively.
While Sanderson said he wanted his non-selected players challenged in the strongest competition available, getting the team up and running was the priority.
"We'd want our own team playing in the strongest competition available but ultimately we want our own team first of all," he said.
"But coming up against Sydney this week, the young kid (Tom) Mitchell, who played really well for them last week, in his previous two games he had 56 and 52 possessions playing in the NEAFL.
"So that's also the debate - where are players going to learn and develop the most? But primarily, let's get our own second team first."
Under the current system, the Crows lose some control over their non-selected AFL players, who must line up for their SANFL clubs and often play different positions and learn different game styles.
"Obviously Port has got a fair bit of control over its players at the Port Magpies and ultimately that's what we'd like," Sanderson said.
"Apart from development it helps with the retention because our players can play together rather than go and play for the nine SANFL teams.
"It would be nice to be able to tell them when we draft them they will always play for the Crows."
Sanderson said the "wheels are certainly in motion for us to get a second team up and running".
"We're a long way down the path," he said.
"Phil Harper (football operations manager) and David Noble (list manager) are working hard behind the scenes."