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

[AFC979810]

OK ...I confess ....I'm Malcolm Blight

Gee, he talks sense .....remember, as supporters, nearly all teams are going to lose 40% of the time .....so if you love the game, embrace the journey ....there's always a positive that brings a smile to your face

You say a lot of dumb stuff.

There are 18 coaches currently coaching in the AFL. 15 of the 18 have a winning percentage above 45%. (Our coach is 17th of 18).

 

[George Kramer]

I reckon he embodied what was wrong with the club anyway. I spoke to him at Lasseters Caz whilst playing blackjack one night. We'd played a trial game against Essendon I reckon. We were talking about players and I mentioned someone who had been on the list a couple of years and was looking exciting and his response was, "I don't know, I don't really know or speak to any of the younger players".

First year of the Crows, we were at Lennies and chatting to Mods and Mickan, both great blokes and engaging.

A pissed McDermott injects himself and steps into the face of my mate who would have been 20, “**** off, just **** off”

 

[FR0GGY]

MALCOLM BLIGHT​

CROWS COACH 1997-99
Matthew Nicks started from a very low base and you can’t imagine some of the courage that takes. He’ll still get more and more resilient. He’s still a young coach.

He didn’t start from a very low base though? He took them there and hasn’t gotten far away from it.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

You say a lot of dumb stuff.

There are 18 coaches currently coaching in the AFL. 15 of the 18 have a winning percentage above 45%. (Our coach is 17th of 18).

Maybe you should learn the difference between a 40% losing record and a winning % of 60% ......if only people took the time to actually read posts

 

[WaynesWorld19]

He didn’t start from a very low base though? He took them there and hasn’t gotten far away from it.

So, your assessment is right, and Blight has no idea .....is that your take ?

 

[FR0GGY]

So, your assessment is right, and Blight has no idea .....is that your take ?

He’s categorically wrong with that statement yes. Even you know that.
We finished 11th nicks took over and we spooned, we are still currently lower than we started.

 

[AFC979810]

Maybe you should learn the difference between a 40% losing record and a winning % of 60% ......if only people took the time to actually read posts

No I read it.

Your point was that most teams lose 40% of the games they play.

My point is that Nicks is far far worse than "other teams". Compared to his peers his winning percentage is 17 out of the 18 coaches.

Also - if we embraced the losing 40% of the time philosophy or even a 50% losing philosophy. Why are we embracing the journey as we lose 66% of our games?

 

[relapse]

And as I said in the other thread, he’s got shit for brains, I want him no where near the club.

He was a clueless idiot when he was in the media.

He's always been a bit of enigma, I've always believed that playing for the Crows for him was nothing more than just a job and when he was sacked he just shut the door and never given the club a 2nd thought.

He's never really had any love or passion for the club and has had zero connection to it from the moment he left. I can remember him being on the radio in the late 90s and early 2000s saying that he has absolutely no emotional connection with the club.

I actually don't think anything specific happened to him outside of being sacked that's made him feel ostracized, I think it's something that he has done himself. I suspect some of those older original players were so entrenched in their SANFL club culture that the club never actually felt like a club to them and there was a bit of a mercenary culture amongst them.

Looking back it makes sense why Blight ran the broom through the club like he did, it needed to happen and the way that McDermott acts towards the club shows that he was not the right person to be leading the club and building a club culture.

 

[PeterSalt]

He didn’t start from a very low base though? He took them there and hasn’t gotten far away from it.

He had the most poorly resourced football department in the AFL his first year coaching

Seriously, Godden, Hart and Reilly were his assistants. Mattner resigning early when he was told he wasn't going to be re-signed.

From memory the only addition to the HP team was Burgess's mate who came from Welsh rugby

Kelly started in January, another first timer in a key position

Trying to implement a new game plan in the back half of the preseason when Covid arrived and no one could train together

I get that he had a list that performed way better the previous season. Surely people can cut him a little slack considering how his first year panned out


And I'm not happy with him atm either and was astounded he was re-signed prior the bye round this year

 

[1970crow]

Couple of points.

1. Nix took over a 10 win team and we’re not tracking to have improved after 5 seasons under him.
2. Whatever the benchmark for w:l ratio is, Nix is well into the bottom tier.
3. Is anyone arguing for players showing nothing in the SANFL to be given a game?

 

[AFC979810]

He's always been a bit of enigma, I've always believed that playing for the Crows for him was nothing more than just a job and when he was sacked he just shut the door and never given the club a 2nd thought.

He's never really had any love or passion for the club and has had zero connection to it from the moment he left. I can remember him being on the radio in the late 90s and early 2000s saying that he has absolutely no emotional connection with the club.

I actually don't think anything specific happened to him outside of being sacked that's made him feel ostracized, I think it's something that he has done himself. I suspect some of those older original players were so entrenched in their SANFL club culture that the club never actually felt like a club to them and there was a bit of a mercenary culture amongst them.

Looking back it makes sense why Blight ran the broom through the club like he did, it needed to happen and the way that McDermott acts towards the club shows that he was not the right person to be leading the club and building a club culture.

Fair.

I would imagine his axing would be pretty tough to get over. Alongside Tony McGinnith.



The looks on Tony and Chris' faces during Bicks speech says it all.

Easier to reconcile if you get axed and the club does nothing. But to be booted and then see the club win back to back flags would be a pretty tough pill to swallow.

 

[1970crow]

He had the most poorly resourced football department in the AFL his first year coaching

Seriously, Godden, Hart and Reilly were his assistants. Mattner resigning early when he was told he wasn't going to be re-signed.

From memory the only addition to the HP team was Burgess's mate who came from Welsh rugby

Kelly started in January, another first timer in a key position

Trying to implement a new game plan in the back half of the preseason when Covid arrived and no one could train together

I get that he had a list that performed way better the previous season. Surely people can cut him a little slack considering how his first year panned out


And I'm not happy with him atm either and was astounded he was re-signed prior the bye round this year

The record is the record, continually excusing that leads to where we find ourselves. Hart is still in the industry, Mattner was well respected, but we didn’t value him. Nix took over a 10 win team with a large core of experienced players. He drove them to a spoon. If it was a blip, you could look at reasons as to why, but if it is more norm than isolated incident, then you don’t.

 

[Slime Roy]

Random Question? (and sorry if it's been raised before)

Does anyone else's press conference have so much creaking coming from the table? I always listen on headphones and it drives me Loco.
It's up there with Dimma repeatedly banging the table and Kenn unable to hear the question. What's up with it??
I know it isn't "Pressure" on
"The Desk"...
His midfield spot is a lock!

 

[George Kramer]

One thing we know about Nix is that he gets people on side, even those that have publicly sprayed his coaching. He did it with Blight and King. And not even covertly, both stated plainly that after having a coffee with him they reckon he's on the right track. It's no different to Trigg's strategy of bringing Caro into the fold, which Fagan did as well after Trigg got moved on and Caro said the club 'was in disarray and Trigg a good operator'. Feed her some inside scraps and pay for good copy. Nix has just deployed similar strategy to get his detractors onside.

Do you think he’s had coffee with Waynus?

 

[Crowboto]

Has there been a sackin'?

 

[kirky]

He's always been a bit of enigma, I've always believed that playing for the Crows for him was nothing more than just a job and when he was sacked he just shut the door and never given the club a 2nd thought.

He's never really had any love or passion for the club and has had zero connection to it from the moment he left. I can remember him being on the radio in the late 90s and early 2000s saying that he has absolutely no emotional connection with the club.

I actually don't think anything specific happened to him outside of being sacked that's made him feel ostracized, I think it's something that he has done himself. I suspect some of those older original players were so entrenched in their SANFL club culture that the club never actually felt like a club to them and there was a bit of a mercenary culture amongst them.

Looking back it makes sense why Blight ran the broom through the club like he did, it needed to happen and the way that McDermott acts towards the club shows that he was not the right person to be leading the club and building a club culture.

Personally I just saw him being bitter having been sacked and then within 12 months we had won a premiership, which I believe he thought it was his right to have. Even last night he went on and on with his speech and had to be told to wind it up a few times.

Notice that neither Jarman or McGuiness have had the same bitterness even though Jarman has remained in the media all that time.

 

[Slippery Pete]

He's always been a bit of enigma, I've always believed that playing for the Crows for him was nothing more than just a job and when he was sacked he just shut the door and never given the club a 2nd thought.

He's never really had any love or passion for the club and has had zero connection to it from the moment he left. I can remember him being on the radio in the late 90s and early 2000s saying that he has absolutely no emotional connection with the club.

I actually don't think anything specific happened to him outside of being sacked that's made him feel ostracized, I think it's something that he has done himself. I suspect some of those older original players were so entrenched in their SANFL club culture that the club never actually felt like a club to them and there was a bit of a mercenary culture amongst them.

Looking back it makes sense why Blight ran the broom through the club like he did, it needed to happen and the way that McDermott acts towards the club shows that he was not the right person to be leading the club and building a club culture.

Typical Glenelg really

 

[CrowBloke]

Maybe you should learn the difference between a 40% losing record and a winning % of 60%

The Maths teacher in me cannot say nothing. There's no difference.

A Coach who has Coached a team to 6 wins and 4 losses has a losing record of 40% and a winning % of 60%. They are the same thing.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

The Maths teacher in me cannot say nothing. There's no difference.

A Coach who has Coached a team to 6 wins and 4 losses has a losing record of 40% and a winning % of 60%. They are the same thing.

Yes I was aware of that ....it was the point I was responding too

 

[Milo Cyrus]

Pepsi Nuts has never lost to the bye!

 

[CrowBloke]

Yes I was aware of that ....it was the point I was responding too

, again.
Your exact words were:
"Maybe you should learn the difference between a 40% losing record and a winning % of 60%".
Those words suggest there is a difference. There isn't.

 

[moogerfooger]

He’s categorically wrong with that statement yes. Even you know that.
We finished 11th nicks took over and we spooned, we are still currently lower than we started.

I don't want to defend Nicks but you're overlooking how the list was gutted at the end of 2019/2020 after we finished 11th. A lot of experience from the grand final era - just two years before - marched out the door in 12 months:

2019

Eddie Betts (trd)
Richard Douglas (del)
Hugh Greenwood (trd)
Sam Jacobs (trd)
Josh Jenkins (trd)
Alex Keath (trd)
Andy Otten (ret)

2020

Rory Atkins (FA)
Brad Crouch (FA)
Kyle Hartigan (trd)
Riley Knight (del)

He started from a very low base. I don't think there's any denying that. I think he was dealt a shocking hand by list (mis)management. Rubbing salt into the wound we gave those players away for almost no return.

The issue is where we are now and whether we should be further along.

 

[1970crow]

Typical Glenelg really

I think the clubs that have actually contributed to the Crows tend to have a bit of a chip on the shoulder. Then there's Norwood.

 

[Jarman3]

Has there been a sackin'?

You'd think the bye week would have been a good time to do it, gives a week for the dust to settle and everybody can reset themselves for the 2nd half of the year.

I really don't think we can afford to wait until next year to move him on. The rate things are going down the road there, Port may well be in the market for a new coach, too. It's hard enough to convince anybody good to move over here. If there is somebody good willing to come over here for a senior coaching gig, we still might not land them if they have 2 options here to choose from.

 

[1970crow]

I don't want to defend Nicks but you're overlooking how the list was gutted at the end of 2019/2020 after we finished 11th. A lot of experience from the grand final era - just two years before - marched out the door in 12 months:

2019

Eddie Betts (trd)
Richard Douglas (del)
Hugh Greenwood (trd)
Sam Jacobs (trd)
Josh Jenkins (trd)
Alex Keath (trd)
Andy Otten (ret)

2020

Rory Atkins (FA)
Brad Crouch (FA)
Kyle Hartigan (trd)
Riley Knight (del)

He started from a very low base. I don't think there's any denying that. I think he was dealt a shocking hand by list (mis)management. Rubbing salt into the wound we gave those players away for almost no return.

The issue is where we are now and whether we should be further along.

Big numbers, tiny cost to our peak footballing performance. Losing those players does not explain how we went from what Pyke left to what Nix delivered. Plus, the removal of the toxic employees should have seen a spike in performance, so somehow not only didn't we spike, we went backwards at a rate of knots.

2019

Eddie Betts (trd) - COOKED
Richard Douglas (del) - COOKED
Hugh Greenwood (trd) - Fringe mid that had played SANFL that year.
Sam Jacobs (trd) - COOKED
Josh Jenkins (trd) - Serviceable, but had been dropped during the year and went on to play 2 further games
Alex Keath (trd) - 3rd choice KPD that had played SANFL that year
Andy Otten (ret) - COOKED

2020

Rory Atkins (FA) - Very average player. Had been dropped and played SANFL that year.
Brad Crouch (FA) - Kicked out for a crap pick due to getting caught with cocaine
Kyle Hartigan (trd) - Serviceable still, went on to play ok for a year or so at Hawks
Riley Knight (del) - Barely returned to fringe quality following 2016