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

[rabidcrow]

I believe Nicks is more than likely to be our Coach next year than not. The reason I'd say he is uncontracted still is not so much based on his win loss record but the many training wheels moments of inexperience he has shown even within his 4th season. Some of these have clearly cost us games. Most of these consistent mistakes would have got him sacked many times over from any side that was not in our position. Yet we absorbed them because of our rebuild and Nicks job was more about getting games into players than the result.

Initially Nicks was probably seen as a stop gap coach, do the hard yards through the rebuild years, get to a point we are expecting to push finals and then seek a coach to take us to the next level.

So, the question is our expectations on Nicks as a coach. We have clearly reached the post rebuild stage as of the end of the 2023 season. The big question is whether we can trust Nicks to have moved past amateur hour level coaching that is still costing us games. Many people mistake that missed goal decision for costing us finals. But we all know the Essendon game was the disaster. A direct result of incompetently persistent selection of the same group of players regardless of form.

What I do think will see Nicks sacked, is a continuation of the training wheels moments which we can no longer absorb if we want to push for finals regularly. This will be the determining factor.

Not sure if it has been you each time but I have seen the Essendon comment a few times on here - suggestion their were a number of players out of form and we kept playing them and ended up with the Essendon result

Reality is our form was very good for the prior 3 games. We smashed West Coast, bye, lost by 2 points to Collingwood at the G (Dawson should have had a shot to win the game) and then smacked North. Now I get the oppo wasn’t great in two of those games but we smashed them and that’s all you can do - and the game in between was one of our best away against the eventual premier

Our record against Essendon in Melbourne is hideous - not just Nicks tenure - they seem to get up and run every time we play them at Marvel

I was more disappointed personally with the Gold Coast in Darwin and the GWS game in Adelaide. Particularly the latter when we looked the better side for 3 quarters and then lost


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[rabidcrow]

Voting breakdown on the previous poll

View attachment 1869677

Wow. All that shows is as things stand right now most people don’t have much of a clue. I imagine a lot of the red is there because Sloane got resigned and Murphy keeps getting a game


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[GreyCrow]

Wow. All that shows is as things stand right now most people don’t have much of a clue. I imagine a lot of the red is there because Sloane got resigned and Murphy keeps getting a game


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Or it was 2 years ago

 

[John Who]

Believe that if you like.

The team with some star players having a career season didn't make finals.

Let's see what happens this year.

The team with some Star players having a career season, with a bunch of young kids.

That’s scope for optimism in my opinion.

 

[George Kramer]

Wow. All that shows is as things stand right now most people don’t have much of a clue. I imagine a lot of the red is there because Sloane got resigned and Murphy keeps getting a game


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How old is the voting?

 

[Scorpus]

How old is the voting?

Poll ran from April 2022 until now with people able to change their votes at any time

 

[George Kramer]

Poll ran from April 2022 until now with people able to change their votes at any time

Yeah but how many did? I don’t think I did. What would be interesting to see a new poll. My answer would be to wait until we see how the season unfolds.

 

[Scorpus]

Yeah but how many did? I don’t think I did. What would be interesting to see a new poll. My answer would be to wait until we see how the season unfolds.

Well there's one on this thread

 

[George Kramer]

Well there's one on this thread

Found it

 

[Jeffcrowe]

i get some of the knocks on Nicks , especially around some selection

But some people conveniently forget that he added such a layer of offence to the side that we went from struggling to score to the highest scoring team in comp in 12 months

That’s quite impressive

Next thing would be to train to close out close games better , much of this is about not having 20-30 minute lapses in midfield that cost us many games ie more capable people to go through midfield for longer

 

[WaynesWorld19]

i get some of the knocks on Nicks , especially around some selection

But some people conveniently forget that he added such a layer of offence to the side that we went from struggling to score to the highest scoring team in comp in 12 months

That’s quite impressive

Next thing would be to train to close out close games better , much of this is about not having 20-30 minute lapses in midfield that cost us many games ie more capable people to go through midfield for longer

I'm not understanding posters who want Nicks gone, yes no faith in him ......yet in the ladder predictor thread everyone has us in the 8 this year .....strange that

 

[George Kramer]

i get some of the knocks on Nicks , especially around some selection

But some people conveniently forget that he added such a layer of offence to the side that we went from struggling to score to the highest scoring team in comp in 12 months

That’s quite impressive

Next thing would be to train to close out close games better , much of this is about not having 20-30 minute lapses in midfield that cost us many games ie more capable people to go through midfield for longer

I don’t buy that.

He’s working with an elite forward line which is our strongest line, to not be attacking would be the dumbest coaching in history. Remember he initially started our most attacking midfielder in defence.

In 2022 he apparently was teaching us defence by pushing our small forwards up the ground. That’s a temporary measure and protecting the defence, not teaching it.

He gets credit for turning our culture around and for us being competitive each week, but he shouldn’t be patted on the back for finally utilising our forward line.

 

[FR0GGY]

I'm not understanding posters who want Nicks gone, yes no faith in him ......yet in the ladder predictor thread everyone has us in the 8 this year .....strange that

How many want him gone? I’m not sure you could find more than 3 posts wanting him gone now.
Most don’t want him re-signed early.

 

[George Kramer]

I'm not understanding posters who want Nicks gone, yes no faith in him ......yet in the ladder predictor thread everyone has us in the 8 this year .....strange that

Because we should make the 8 given our talent, but we have doubts on whether he’s the bloke to take us further. It’s also a wait and see to see how the season unfolds, we aren’t a lock.

Plus he continues to make stupid selection decisions, would be nice if that stopped but he did keep Sloane.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

How many want him gone? I’m not sure you could find more than 3 posts wanting him gone now.
Most don’t want him re-signed early.

I'm not sure about that ....there are dystopian figures lurking in the shadows, awaiting their opportunity

Doesn't the voting poll tell all

 

[George Kramer]

How many want him gone? I’m not sure you could find more than 3 posts wanting him gone now.
Most don’t want him re-signed early.

Yep, the option wasn’t worded well

 

[FR0GGY]

I'm not sure about that ....there are dystopian figures lurking in the shadows, awaiting their opportunity

Doesn't the voting poll tell all

The voting is nearly 2 years old.
Edit: Just checked it’s been reset and there’s zero votes for sacking.

 

[George Kramer]

The voting is nearly 2 years old.
Edit: Just checked it’s been reset and there’s zero votes for sacking.

And Wayne hasn’t voted!

 

[Jeffcrowe]

I don’t buy that.

He’s working with an elite forward line which is our strongest line, to not be attacking would be the dumbest coaching in history. Remember he initially started our most attacking midfielder in defence.

In 2022 he apparently was teaching us defence by pushing our small forwards up the ground. That’s a temporary measure and protecting the defence, not teaching it.

He gets credit for turning our culture around and for us being competitive each week, but he shouldn’t be patted on the back for finally utilising our forward line.

Kicking goals isn’t just about forward line for starters , it’s just as much about ball movement

We are one of the better ball movement teams in comp and that wasn’t the case prior , that’s a full ground thing


Also Elite forward line players - Tex and Rankine . Rankine didn’t even make AA …. Who else ? Other clubs have forward line players individually as good as ours

 

[George Kramer]

Kicking goals isn’t just about forward line for starters , it’s just as much about ball movement

We are one of the better ball movement teams in comp and that wasn’t the case prior , that’s a full ground thing


Also Elite forward line players - Tex and Rankine . Rankine didn’t even make AA …. Who else ? Other clubs have forward line players individually as good as ours

Agree ball movement is key, that’s why the slow ball movement of 2022 was dumb. That changed in 2023, do we give him credit for adopting a sensible game plan?

Dawson started in defence, moving to the middle has helped. You giving Nicks credit for waking up?

Our forward line excluding Murphy is full of talented players. How many first rounders playing up there? Just look at how many kicked multiple goals. Sure they might not be classified as elite yet, but you can’t deny it’s not stacked with talent and name me forward lines with more overall talent.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Agree ball movement is key, that’s why the slow ball movement of 2022 was dumb. That changed in 2023, do we give him credit for adopting a sensible game plan?

Dawson started in defence, moving to the middle has helped. You giving Nicks credit for waking up?

Our forward line excluding Murphy is full of talented players. How many first rounders playing up there? Just look at how many kicked multiple goals. Sure they might not be classified as elite yet, but you can’t deny it’s not stacked with talent and name me forward lines with more overall talent.

How was the forward line talent rated in 2021 ?

How many AA has Tex made prior to 2023 ?

Surely the improvement from poor method and ball transition due one of best in comp is on the back of Nicks doing some things very well

Just give some credit where it’s due , it’s not all due to him and it’s definitely all not sure to elite talent in the forward line

 

[WaynesWorld19]

And Wayne hasn’t voted!

I don't vote in any polls ....and for good reason

 

[George Kramer]

How was the forward line talent rated in 2021 ?

How many AA has Tex made prior to 2023 ?

Surely the improvement from poor method and ball transition due one of best in comp is on the back of Nicks doing some things very well

Just give some credit where it’s due , it’s not all due to him and it’s definitely all not sure to elite talent in the forward line

In 2021 not as well, besides Tex most were youngsters and our team overall sucked.

Tex went close in 2022.

As I said Nicks changed the game plan to take advantage of our strongest line, but isn’t that commonsense? There would have been a riot if he maintained his slow gameplan and pushing the small forwards up of 2022.

No comment about Nicks originally intending to play Dawson in defence?

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Agree ball movement is key, that’s why the slow ball movement of 2022 was dumb. That changed in 2023, do we give him credit for adopting a sensible game plan?

Dawson started in defence, moving to the middle has helped. You giving Nicks credit for waking up?

Our forward line excluding Murphy is full of talented players. How many first rounders playing up there? Just look at how many kicked multiple goals. Sure they might not be classified as elite yet, but you can’t deny it’s not stacked with talent and name me forward lines with more overall talent.

I'm afraid George, you really have trouble understanding the process involved in an evolving team rebuild

You pay your money, so you're entitled to your opinions ....unfortunately you judge the players & team, each year on an equal basis .....you make no allowances for players age, or experience

You see the game as player versus player ....rather than as a team of moving parts ...a team that can tactically change with experience & addition of talent

Saying 2023 shows what we did in 2021 was wrong .....and the Coach is to blame ....is simply, a way too simplistic a POV

 

[George Kramer]

I don't vote in any polls ....and for good reason

Yes, you open yourself up to scrutiny Bit rich though to then question others opinion isn’t it…