Port Adelaide defender Troy Chaplin says team-mate Nathan Krakouer let the Power down because they found out he was leaving through the media.
Following Crow Nathan Bock's defection to Gold Coast on Tuesday, media reported on Wednesday that Krakouer had already played his last game for the Power. His agent agreed but didn't specify where the 22-year-old would play next season.
Chaplin said the club 'deserved better' after discovering Krakouer's decision through the media while Power football manager Peter Rohde admitted on Wednesday the story in The Age was the first he had learnt of Krakouer's confirmed departure.
"The way his manager dealt with it was probably a little disappointing," said Chaplin on Thursday.
"I think the club deserved a little bit better. Krak spoke to Rohdey, but obviously there's been a little bit of miscommunication between him and his manager. Look it's very disappointing. The playing group rate him as a very important player in the team."
"We don't know if he's going to the Gold Coast, he could be going home to Perth. For it to unfold the way it has is disappointing, but obviously guys have got their reasons. You've just got to take it on face value he's got his personal reasons why he wants to leave and you just got to go with it."
Krakouer had been linked with a move to the Suns for most of the year and Chaplin admitted the decision comes as a relief for everyone involved, acknowledging it had probably affected Krakouer's form and weighed heavily on the shy 22-year-old's mind.
An injury interrupted season saw Krakouer manage just seven games this season and Chaplin said his decision to leave the club would be life changing.
"It's been reported probably since Round 2 or 3. It's been on the cards for a while but you don't know what he is thinking, what his decision is going to be," he said.
"It's been made now and it's probably taken a bit of pressure off of him and we can move forward now as a football club and as a playing group you don't have that worry of what is Krak going to do."
"It was a decision that was probably was weighing on his mind and probably affected his football a little bit. He was trying to think what's best for him but trying not to let the guys or the football club down as well."
"He is very shy, very reserved and it's probably not something he's going to talk openly about, he's going to keep his cards close to his chest and that's fair enough, it's a decision that's going to affect his life and his family."
Chaplin conceded the Power had lost an important player and a 'great bloke' and said tempting Krakouer to stay was useless.
"A few of us spoke to him about it but he never spoke to us about what his decision was going to be. You can only take it on what he said to the guys and his decision had been made probably for a couple of months now."
"You can try and turn him and talk him around but in the end it's his decision and we've got to go with that and unfortunately loose a pretty good player."