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SCOTT Watters has been sacked as St Kilda coach, leaving a gutted football department and disgruntled players and staff in his wake.
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Watters was yesterday summoned to an 11am meeting in a city office with Saints president Peter Summers, vice-president Jack Rush and board member Andrew Thompson where he was told in a 20-minute meeting that he would be fired with a year to run on his contract.
What Summers described as a "strong decision" was made at an unscheduled board meeting at 8am via phone hook-up. It was here that Watters' meddling in other departments and his strained relationships with colleagues and players were laid bare.
There were also increasing concerns over his coaching, particularly on match day, where frequently changing tactics and mixed messages were common.
The Herald Sun reported Watters had told Summers a month ago that he was willing to buy-in to a new structure and narrow his focus on coaching. It came after Thompson's review of the football department revealed an "endorsement that we have the right people in the right roles".
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But in the weeks since the club had become convinced that Watters' behaviour wasn't going to change.
"We hope everyone who comes in is successful long term, but it's obviously not unconditional. We assessed things today and got to the decision we did," Summers said yesterday.
"It's been ongoing. That (review) was an assessment of where we were at a point in time. We went through a period where other things became clearer. As things have emerged issues become clearer."
Asked what those issues were, Summers said: "We met with Scott this morning and went through the reasons for our decision, but they will remain confidential between Scott and ourselves. He was disappointed, as I think we would all expect."
Watters' sacking comes after the departures of assistant coaches Dean Bailey and Jaymie Graham and fitness boss Bill Davoren, while his relationship with football boss Chris Pelchen remained strained.
Summers admitted there had been infighting, but denied it was the deal-breaker in Watters' demise.
"It's been reported there's been tension in the football department. We accept that. But I've also said that, and I've operated for a long time in business, and tension isn't a bad thing necessarily," Summers said.
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"They (Watters and Pelchen) probably got on the wrong side, but I don't want to harp on it, it's irrelevant going forward. I heard the working relationship of late was OK.
"It's been portrayed as one versus the other and it's not the case. They worked together over the last period quite well. When I spoke to Scott and Chris about that there hadn't been issues.
"It's an indication of the sort of issues we dealt with this morning in the board meeting, but I wouldn't overplay it.
Everyone has got relationships in a club ... some of the personality issues we addressed during the year."
Former Hawthorn champion Dermott Brereton slammed St Kilda's decision, launching an attack on the club's hierarchy.
"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."
Watters took over as coach after Ross Lyon's shock defection to Fremantle in 2011, but engineered only 17 wins from 44 games.
The Saints have drawn up a shortlist of potential coaching replacements and have started formalising a selection committee.
Port Adelaide premiership coach and Richmond assistant Mark Williams is the favourite to take over, while favourite son Robert Harvey is an outside chance.
THE CONTENDERS
MARK WILLIAMS: Former Port Adelaide premiership coach who is desperate to have another crack at senior coaching. Will bring instant respect and discipline. Currently assistant coach at Richmond.
ROBERT HARVEY: Favourite son who would certainly tick the box for winning the fans back. Spent time at Carlton as an assistant and was recently promoted to be Nathan Buckley's right-hand man at Collingwood.
LEIGH TUDOR: The most highly regarded assistant out there who went close to snagging senior gig at West Coast. Part of Sydney's premiership coaching team and spent time at St Kilda under Ross Lyon. Returned home to Victoria for family reasons and recently took job at North Melbourne.
ALAN RICHARDSON: Been around the mark a number of times and ran a close second to Watters a couple of years ago for the Saints gig. Currently senior assistant at Port Adelaide.
MICHAEL VOSS: Was sacked by Brisbane mid-way through his fifth season. Many felt after a slow start to his coaching career the Lions great was starting to show he would make the grade. Would certainly bring the playing group together.
Listen to Watters' interview on SEN below
MORE TO COME
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