THE CONTRACT payout of sacked coach Brenton Sanderson has hit Adelaide's bottom line, with chairman Rob Chapman announcing a 2014 operating financial loss of $408,011 at the club's annual members meeting on Wednesday night.

Sanderson was dumped as Crows coach last September with another season left on his contract, costing the club a reported $1.2 million.

Chapman described the payout as the cost of doing business in modern elite sport.

The payout was compounded by an increase in football department spending, the introduction of a SANFL side, an increase in costs associated with the move to Adelaide Oval, and the unsatisfactory stadium deal at the venue.

Like the stadium's co-tenants Port Adelaide, the Crows will gain an extra $1.5 million from 2015 onwards having re-negotiated the deal.

Although disappointed to announce the loss, Chapman promised the club would be back in the black this year.

"There was a contract termination that resulted in some sizable expenses that we incurred … we're not hiding from that (but) this is the cost of doing business in an elite sport," Chapman said.

"[The Adelaide Oval costs] were indeed much higher than what we anticipated.

"We've created a budget that not only returns us to profit next year but a budget that allows us to spend whatever we need to get the success that we want … we're not going to skimp on that.

"Ladies and gentlemen, (the AFL) is an arms race … we will never spend less than what it takes to be successful on the football field."

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Although posting a loss, the Crows grew their television audience by 10 per cent last year and made development in their corporate revenue.

For the first time since its 1991 AFL induction, Adelaide also announced the appointments of two member-elected board members.

Mark Ricciuto was re-elected and will serve for two years, while fellow 1997 premiership player Rod Jameson was also elected to the board for season 2015.

Twitter: @AFL_Harry