ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 09: Former footballer Mark Ricciuto looks on before the round 20 AFL match between the Port Adelaide Power and the Sydney Swans at Adelaide Oval on August 9, 2014 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)

Charlie Cameron and Mitch McGovern's manager Colin Young has responded to Mark Ricciuto's assessment on why the pair left the Adelaide Crows.

Young was surprised about the comments Ricciuto made about McGovern especially, saying he left Adelaide not because of money but because of the infamous 2018 pre-season camp.

"Firstly, I have the greatest respect for Mark and his passion for the Crows, however I'm not sure if he has been provided with the full facts on why Charlie and Mitch left the Crows," Young told The Age.

"Those comments that Mark has made make no sense and I am very surprised that he made them. Why would Mitch stay loyal to the Crows and sign a three-year contract extension back in 2017, when he could have gone back home to Perth on an extremely lucrative contract?

"Instead Mitch chose to stay with the Crows for half the contract dollars and half the length of the contract time instead of going home to Perth.

"The reason Mitch left the Crows was because of the camp and the Adelaide football department and that's it. Again with Charlie, it was not the money. Let's just leave it at that!"

Meanwhile, AFL legends Garry Lyon and Tim Watson did not hold back on their opinions of the matter.

Lyon believes Ricciuto should have never made comments about previous players in the media.

"The first reaction is to put the blame on someone else," Lyon told SEN Breakfast.

"You respect people coming into your club and you respect people going out. You don't do your business through the media - good clubs don't do their business through the media.

"When you say things like that, now you've got [Charlie Cameron and Mitch McGovern's manager] Colin Young and he comes out and says because the reason Mitch left the Crows was because of the camp and the Adelaide football department and that's it.

"All of a sudden, you've jut thrown your footy club back in the spotlight again. All these things swirl around because you play your business out in the media."

Watson believes Ricciuto's comments cast a bad spotlight on the football club again.

"This is like an own goal," Winston told SEN Breakfast.

"This is putting out there and then having to respond to it because you created a mess in the first place and you thrust the spotlight back on your own football club.

"It's put the Adelaide Crows back in the focus and created a whole new story about something I'm sure they'd like to have put away and not talk [about] again."

Adelaide face the Gold Coast Suns at Metricon Stadium on Sunday afternoon.