Opinion Matthew Nicks: Adelaide's Coach (Part 2) - Full Support of the Board

[kirky]

It's just a pointer to how bad a coach Nicks is.

20 CBA's to Laird.

4 CBA's in total shared between Harry, Rachelle and Dowling.

What sort of a coach would have young midfielders busting to have a crack in the centre square think to themselves "nope, I'll stick with Laird, it has worked so well for the team over the past 5 years".

The level of incompetency is off the chart.

Now someone would say that perhaps Soligo shouldn’t have had 22 CBAs (Dawson with 22 is ok, he is the experience required in the centre) however Soligo is the future.

But Laird isn’t our future, he is crappy at disposal by foot and handpasses generally put someone under the pump but the problem Nicks has is unless it is half back flank, Laird can’t do any other position on the field. Now if Laird does take half back flank then the only person’s place he could take is Smith. And he can’t not have both Smith and Laird out, no siree.

Nicks is left in a quandary all of his own making.

 

[Harris1991]

Murphy wouldn't get a game in any other side.

Same with mchenry.

Laird wouldn't be playing midfield in any other side.

Smith would be dropped from any other club.

Weren't there a few posters on here that said Murphy would make a good midfielder. Where did they disappear to.

 

[Rotayjay]

Pretty soon, the port supporters will be saying after another crows loss...'off to the sack nicks thread'

I'm sure they do already. At least we've only had Nicks for five years rather than twelve.

 

[CrowBloke]

WaynesWorld19 , you've lost me, mate.

A young list like ours

It was younger.
They're getting older and not improving --- have any of Murphy, McHenry, Sholl improved to must-pick status?
Jones appears to have regressed after his pretty good 2023. Rachele and Pedlar have gone backwards.
The "young list" excuse is wearing thin.

with our injury list

Same, wearing thin.
Collingwood were undermanned, and pipped us again.
Brisbane were ravaged by injury and we tied with them.
Richmond have barely got 25 players to choose from and ran all over us until the inevitable (losing) fightback.

but more importantly, team with 4+ players not up to AFL standard .....the Coach can't be judged

BUT Nicks keeps selecting them, leaving untried talent to languish in the SANFL or decimating the confidence of others who have the ability (Rachele, Pedlar, Curtin).
Of course the Coach can be judged. They all are, every week, based upon their selections/game plan/plans B and C etc.

......yes he can scrutinised,

Wait a second --- Nicks can't be 'judged', but he can be "scrutinised"??
That's Orwellian doublespeak ill-logic worthy of the English Test Cricket Captain and Coach whose Bazballian logic has led them to mediocrity.

and this year undoubtedly will improve him as an AFL Coach

That is the last nail in your post's coffin lid.
Nicks wasn't employed to be given the chance to improve his career arc, but to Coach the Crows to win games, make-Finals-then-Final-4 and contend consistently for a Flag or 2 or 3.
Upon what do you base your "undoubtedly improve" assumption, please? The Crows are 14th on 4-8-1, 15th if the Saints win tonight.
How has Nicks improved?
Whatever has he done to make you think he can change/improve?

Not just that, is Nicks a better Coach now than in 2022/23 (I don't count his first 2 years)?
Before you answer that, what does he do differently? What does he do better? Also, what has he learned after more than 4 Seasons such that we could say the Crows are on the improve?
Different choices/selections, better actions/decisions, learning and applying that learning are all vital to change and improvement, but Nicks has failed on all levels.

Worst of all, he does not learn from his mistakes and lacks the introspection required to be better and do better.
Please, look at what is as opposed to how you'd like it to be, read the room and stop defending the indefensible.

 

[Rotayjay]

We need an experienced coach who is prepared to own the joint. Not pander to the entitled culture.

Malcolm Blight had the balls to take a broom through the club, and we won two premierships.

 

[CrowBloke]

King still credits Nicks with the implementation of the Orange Tsunami whilst at GWS .....and the rise to Grand Finalist

OK, if King and you can credit him with the GWS successes in/after one year, 2019, as an assistant, then he can be held responsible for the mess the Crows are now in after 4+ years as Head Coach, right?

 

[Executive Landlord]

How does WW defend having an injured Tom Lynch as sub. That was on Nick's and one of the most incompetent things I've ever seen.

 

[CrowBloke]

That's simply a naive comment, about a team in a full rebuild .....actually put some thought into your comments

Facts are not "naive", or anything for that matter but a statement of what's happened.
Nicks' record: 96 games, 33W-62L-1D. 33.5/96 = 34.9% (1D.P.)

Give him a freebie/pass for 2020/21.
Since then, 57 games 23W-33L-1-D. 23.5/57 = 40.8%.

Put some thought into those numbers.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Facts are not "naive", or anything for that matter but a statement of what's happened.
Nicks' record: 96 games, 33W-62L-1D. 33.5/96 = 34.9% (1D.P.)

Give him a freebie/pass for 2020/21.
Since then, 57 games 23W-33L-1-D. 23.5/57 = 40.8%.

Put some thought into those numbers.

WW probably given him a pass until his 10th year when we are expected to no longer be a list of inexperienced teenagers.

 

[n4sir]

Facts are not "naive", or anything for that matter but a statement of what's happened.
Nicks' record: 96 games, 33W-62L-1D. 33.5/96 = 34.9% (1D.P.)

Give him a freebie/pass for 2020/21.
Since then, 57 games 23W-33L-1-D. 23.5/57 = 40.8%.

Put some thought into those numbers.

You are generous. I would not give him a pass for 2020/21.

He's been here for what's approaching five years, not three. That should not be excluded.

 

[CrowBloke]

You are generous. I would not give him a pass for 2020/21.

He's been here for what's approaching five years, not three. That should not be excluded.

By "pass" I meant "leeway" not A pass. my poor word choice.

I was just tryna highlight his "best" latest results since then have been @ 40% which is $hite.

 

[n4sir]

By "pass" I meant "leeway" not A pass. my poor word choice.

I was just tryna highlight his "best" latest results since then have been @ 40% which is $hite.

All good. When you look at us over the whole Nicks period... I just don't think you can call 2020/21 an outlier. If we only win another 2-3 games the rest of this year, it definitely isn't.

 

[CrowBloke]

Crouch's selection is the biggest black mark on Nicks coaching this year

Oh Please.
Worse than starting 0-4?
Worse than continuing with Smith and sticking with Laird as mid?
Worse than what he did with Curtin?
Worse than backing in McHenry and Murphy at every opportunity?
Worse than shafting Pedlar?

I was never a big fan of Crouch, but Crouch took his demotion on the chin, worked his butt off with Burgess and played so well in the SANFL that he demanded to be reselected, and was. Goodonim .
Laird and Smith are bigger problems than Crouch was.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Oh Please.
Worse than starting 0-4?
Worse than continuing with Smith and sticking with Laird as mid?
Worse than what he did with Curtin?
Worse than backing in McHenry and Murphy at every opportunity?
Worse than shafting Pedlar?

I was never a big fan of Crouch, but Crouch took his demotion on the chin, worked his butt off with Burgess and played so well in the SANFL that he demanded to be reselected, and was. Goodonim .
Laird and Smith are bigger problems than Crouch was.

Are you asking me to double down on my Crouch rationale .....I think I've been pretty clear with my thinking

If you're seduced by possession numbers, reflecting how good a player is .....then we can agree to disagree

He was dropped getting big possession numbers ....why ?

Then this Board universally said, Crouch trade value, wasn't worth a packet of chips ....despite racking up huge SANFL numbers

No Club took Crouch as a Free Agent ....why is that

Maybe the competition sees something in his game, you're not seeing

 

[1990crow]

They're supposed to be offensive.

Oh Please.
Worse than starting 0-4?
Worse than continuing with Smith and sticking with Laird as mid?
Worse than what he did with Curtin?
Worse than backing in McHenry and Murphy at every opportunity?
Worse than shafting Pedlar?

I was never a big fan of Crouch, but Crouch took his demotion on the chin, worked his butt off with Burgess and played so well in the SANFL that he demanded to be reselected, and was. Goodonim .
Laird and Smith are bigger problems than Crouch was.

You forgot Nankervis

 

[CrowBloke]

Can't fix a problem if you refuse to admit you have a problem... which is why most supporters have lost faith in the club leadership.

A good mate of mine has a wife and daughter and a fixed speed camera near his place.
Both have been pinged THREE times by that same speed camera; same location, same warning notifications, nothing's different.
Once, ok, that's not paying attention, but TWICE more after that with more likely? It's nuts, beyond careless.

Like them, sadly, Nicks has not, does not, learn from his mistakes.

 

[CrowBloke]

They're supposed to be offensive.

You forgot Nankervis

Yep, true, but I was tired of asking questions about Nicks' shortcomings.

 

[Apsaalooke]

Weren't there a few posters on here that said Murphy would make a good midfielder. Where did they disappear to.

I think I said he was more a midfielder, just not a very good one, rather than a forward

 

[BigBoSS_Riot]

Are you asking me to double down on my Crouch rationale .....I think I've been pretty clear with my thinking

If you're seduced by possession numbers, reflecting how good a player is .....then we can agree to disagree

He was dropped getting big possession numbers ....why ?

Then this Board universally said, Crouch trade value, wasn't worth a packet of chips ....despite racking up huge SANFL numbers

No Club took Crouch as a Free Agent ....why is that

Maybe the competition sees something in his game, you're not seeing

Why do you have this obsession with suggesting others are "seduced by numbers"? It reeks of projection. Nobody is saying anything about disposal numbers except you.

Because I was curious though, I've checked the numbers. Of the main stats, Crouch beats Laird in disposals (+3.2), kick efficiency (+1.1%, but they're both awful), contested possessions (+1), ground ball gets (+0.7), clearances (+1), marks (+1.4) and score involvements (+1.1). There's 0.1 difference between them in tackles and pressure acts, so nothing of significance there.

It's pretty similar across the board. Maybe it's not the numbers we're all thinking about. Maybe we're actually watching the games in full with our eyes.

 

[cleanhands]

Oh Please.
Worse than starting 0-4?
Worse than continuing with Smith and sticking with Laird as mid?
Worse than what he did with Curtin?
Worse than backing in McHenry and Murphy at every opportunity?
Worse than shafting Pedlar?

I was never a big fan of Crouch, but Crouch took his demotion on the chin, worked his butt off with Burgess and played so well in the SANFL that he demanded to be reselected, and was. Goodonim .
Laird and Smith are bigger problems than Crouch was.

His use of the sub

 

[CrowBloke]

Are you asking me to double down on my Crouch rationale .....I think I've been pretty clear with my thinking

No. Read my words, not what you think I said.

If you're seduced by possession numbers, reflecting how good a player is .....then we can agree to disagree

No. Read my words, not what you think I said.

He was dropped getting big possession numbers ....why ?

They were about as effective as Laird's are now. ie not.

Then this Board universally said, Crouch trade value, wasn't worth a packet of chips ....despite racking up huge SANFL numbers

No Club took Crouch as a Free Agent ....why is that

They didn't think he was worth it, but that was post-2022, not last year when he played so well that he came in after Laird was injured (Round 19 onwards) and played very well :

How Crouch bounced back from “tough times” to win new Crows deal

He landed himself a new contract.

www.sen.com.au

Maybe the competition sees something in his game, you're not seeing

Crouch's not being taken up then has nothing to do with 2024.
You said: "Crouch's selection is the biggest black mark on Nicks coaching this year" to which I responded with several examples worse than that.
Please reply to that, not with more of your deflections, above, yeah?

 

[CrowBloke]

Who is responsible for development if not Nicks?

I can answer that, because I looked it up earlier today.
Nicks, of course, then Godden/ Wright/ Bello, all of whom have "devlopment" in their job titles.

It means none of them are doing their job well.

 

[Redline]

Weren't there a few posters on here that said Murphy would make a good midfielder. Where did they disappear to.

Some thought he would be a good small defender. I don't know if it is was his elite pace, poor skills or lack of football nouse that they thought he would make it down back.

 

[CrowBloke]

1. Injuries ....do not underestimate the flow on effect .....GEEL & GWS are losing games due to key players being out

Happens to all Clubs. Those with depth survive phases of injuries eg Geelong and GWS will probably both make finals this year.

2. List Management ....for not chasing a RUCK the last 3 years

Definitely a problem, but a bigger problem is not chasing skillful mids (or if chosen, playing them out of position eg Dowling)

3. The lack of aggressive trading by the Club ....we're a "nice, good citizen" Club .....example, negotiations around Thebarton ...nice

When do Nicks, Roo, our ex-player nepotism-assistants become problems resulting in Club failure?

 

[CrowBloke]

Given the amount of posts you have written you'd think you would have eventually learnt to write sentences at least halfway properly and cut out the bastardised ellipses.

He has bigger posting issues than his use of " ... " which I think for him is a long pause, rather than missing text.
He could find this useful:

When and How To Use an Ellipsis ( ... )

Three periods in a row may seem excessive, but they actually mean something. What exactly is an ellipsis, and how do you use it correctly in grammar?

www.yourdictionary.com