Coach Adelaide under Matthew Nicks

[windyhill]

Neale-Bullen is a huge get. Huge.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

I, and some others, were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt after last season showed some signs

I'm not sure why people thought this, because it was on the back of veterans like Walker and Laird who got The Crows so close to finals. I knew they'd fall off because of their over reliance on players who aren't going to be there much longer.

 

[Freomaniac]

Nope... Nicks isn't going to get us anywhere

Crazy to say this. I saw the crows draw. I can see them get 13 or 14 wins in 2025 And a finals spot

 

[The 747]

Crazy to say this. I saw the crows draw. I can see them get 13 or 14 wins in 2025 And a finals spot

Agree but I'd lose the 1 from both numbers.

 

[crows dude]

Our 23 starting to take shape. Finals or bust this year.

F Rachele Walker Fogarty
HF Keays Thilthorpe Neal-Bullen
C Sholl Crouch Soligo
HB Cumming Murray Michlanney
B Worrell Keane Laird
R O'Brien Dawson Rankine
I Curtin Hinge Peatling Draper Dowling

 

[Clark G]

Our 23 starting to take shape. Finals or bust this year.

F Rachele Walker Fogarty
HF Keays Thilthorpe Neal-Bullen
C Sholl Crouch Soligo
HB Cumming Murray Michlanney
B Worrell Keane Laird
R O'Brien Dawson Rankine
I Curtin Hinge Peatling Draper Dowling

Very tall forward line. Is there room for all three of Walker, Fogarty and Thilthorpe?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Very tall forward line. Is there room for all three of Walker, Fogarty and Thilthorpe?

Wasn't a problem last year when all 3 played together...

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

Very tall forward line. Is there room for all three of Walker, Fogarty and Thilthorpe?

3 talls is pretty standard

 

[Freomaniac]

Wasn't a problem last year when all 3 played together...

I didn't think so either.

How old is Taylor walker this season? 34 or 35 years old?

I think I see the tall forwards post Taylor Walker. Riley Tilthorpe, Fogarty and now Welsh

 

[Freomaniac]

3 talls is pretty standard

Yeah but one is the battering ram that gets double teamed in the goal square. That is likely to be Riley Tilthorpe.

And then you got that 190 cm 2nd or 3rd tall forward that plays centre half forward or forward flank. So that's Welsh or Fogarty

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

It's a pretty formidable forward line TBH, Walker will be the cameo forward at his age let's be honest. But Thilthorpe and Fogarty should cause big problems for defences this year and beyond. Rachele, Keays, Rankine etc it's definitely a top 4 or 5 forward line. Our backline has the matchups for it but alot of other clubs don't. I can see them pushing up the ladder into a finals position if they play to their potential.

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

It's a pretty formidable forward line TBH, Walker will be the cameo forward at his age let's be honest. But Thilthorpe and Fogarty should cause big problems for defences this year and beyond. Rachele, Keays, Rankine etc it's definitely a top 4 or 5 forward line. Our backline has the matchups for it but alot of other clubs don't. I can see them pushing up the ladder into a finals position if they play to their potential.

This should be the plan

 

[King_Steele]

 

[1970crow]

It's a pretty formidable forward line TBH, Walker will be the cameo forward at his age let's be honest. But Thilthorpe and Fogarty should cause big problems for defences this year and beyond. Rachele, Keays, Rankine etc it's definitely a top 4 or 5 forward line. Our backline has the matchups for it but alot of other clubs don't. I can see them pushing up the ladder into a finals position if they play to their potential.

The challenge is Tex playing that way. Pretty sure that even though he was struggling physically last year, he still commanded a very high % of entries. TT was absent most of the year, so maybe fair enough. But it would be a big change, if you get the stat for greatest % of entries directed to you’d find Tex at or near top of list for many years.

 

[Taper]

Crows are 2-0 and absolutely flying.
Where are the Nicks haters now?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Davis was our best off season recruit.

Thanks Lions.

 

[King Elvis]

Crows are 2-0 and absolutely flying.
Where are the Nicks haters now?

Still here - will take more than 2 wins against poor teams to wipe out years of stupidity.

As above, I think Davis has been a huge addition; maybe Nicks will actually learn how to be a good coach from him.

 

[Clark G]

Crows are 2-0 and absolutely flying.
Where are the Nicks haters now?

I have nothing against Nicks but I suspect it will take more than two wins against two long time struggling teams to convince Adelaide fans that Nicks can take the side into premiership contention.

 

[Freomaniac]

Crows are 2-0 and absolutely flying.
Where are the Nicks haters now?

I never said I was a Nicks hater.

North Melbourne at home is winnable. Suns at Gold coast will be tricky

Big test is cats in round 5

 

[lacrow]

I didn’t misunderstand. I just think you’re not willing to accept the reality as we can all clearly see it.

Firstly, he wouldn’t start at every team in the league.

I guess by your metric, Tom Hawkins also isn’t cooked because he’s held his spot in a Geelong side that started 7-0 and should feature yet again in September?

Even the most one eyed Cats fan would laugh at that suggestion, because everyone can see the reality.

Second, he’s not moving well nor is he playing with the trademark flair we’re used to seeing.

He’s also averaging the 3rd lowest goals per game across his career, ahead of only his debut season and a shortened 2020.

It’s not a criticism of him. He’s been a star and he was amazing last year, what he did as a 33 year old to drag you into finals contention was exceptional.

But now the cliff has come. He’ll still kick goals here and there such is his quality as a footballer, but his impact is way, way down, as would be expected from a player of his age.

Still hold the same view of Tex, given his start to the year?

 

[Freomaniac]

Nicks hasn't been helped by poor drafting from the Crows recruiting department over recent years, he can only work with the cattle he has at his disposal.
Nicks has shown quality tactical nous by outcoaching Hinkley the last three times the Crows have played Port, despite Nicks having inferior cattle to Hinkley.

This is true.

2016 draft crows used their 1st rounder on Jordan Galluci where Sam Powell Pepper was available.

2018 crows used 1st rounders on Chayce Jones when Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma was available.

2019 crows had pick 6 on Fischer McAsey when Hayden Young and Caleb Serong was available

 

[janty]

Very interesting game today. Will say a lot about both teams.

 

[1990crow]

This is true.

2016 draft crows used their 1st rounder on Jordan Galluci where Sam Powell Pepper was available.

2018 crows used 1st rounders on Chayce Jones when Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma was available.

2019 crows had pick 6 on Fischer McAsey when Hayden Young and Caleb Serong was available

It's true. But if we had drafted better in that period we probably wouldn't have had access to Curtin and Draper.

We played the long game of being shitter for longer.

 

[Jeremias]

Still hold the same view of Tex, given his start to the year?

Looking better than he did last year, in an improved side, but it's a long season. Hold fire.

 

[Greasyrhys]

He’ll get them into the top 4