Adelaide Crows confirm Phil Walsh as new senior coach

The Adelaide Football Club has confirmed Phil Walsh will take over the senior coaching position after being lured from cross-town rival Port Adelaide.

Walsh – the Power’s midfield manager during 2014, following a previous stint with the club which culminated in the 2004 AFL Premiership – will take over at the Crows from Brenton Sanderson, who was unexpectedly sacked last month.

Walsh, 54, has also served as an assistant coach at the West Coast Eagles. He said he was excited at becoming the Crows’ seventh coach since the club joined the AFL in 1991.

“As a career coach, I am ready for the ultimate test and 100 percent committed to this fresh challenge,” he said.

“Success doesn’t come looking for you. You must chase it as a team, with a focus on hard work and elite habits.”

Port Adelaide chief executive officer Keith Thomas congratulated Walsh on his appointment.

“As a club we can be proud that another one of our people is admired so much that they’ve been recruited by a competitor for a senior coaching role,” Thomas said.

“We are about growing our people both personally and professionally and we are now highly respected in the industry for the way we develop our staff.”

9news.com.au will have live coverage of the Crows' press conference announcing Walsh’s appointment at 2.30pm EDST.