Opinion Matthew Nicks: Adelaide's Coach (Part 3) - The Biggest Loser

[davos44]

Players being young & hearing from the Adelaide fishbowl media, Finals was a mere formality .....did get in front of themselves

Olsen coming out in the media and saying were all set for finals/big year didn't assist us but losing Thilthorpe in a trial game with 5 mins to go for 17 weeks did more damage to those finals chances than that.

Dowling - 8 games

This guy should be doing all our kicking into F50. Ball magnet and a big man with a body like Warren Treadea (no shoulders).

Taylor is a ripper, and I expect big things ....Nankervis another ...but I don't think people allow for these footy baby's at 20 - 21 yo ....they're a long way off being consitently good players

Taylor had that Lisfranc injury in 2023 which are a nightmare, but he looked like he is moving really well. Hopefully a big preseason gives him a Soligo 2024 type year in 2025.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

This guy should be doing all our kicking into F50. Ball magnet and a big man with a body like Warren Treadea (no shoulders).

I don't think Dowlings disposal is good enough for this .....Rankine, Soligo, Dawson, Curtin

 

[Syd Crow]

I went to the Facebook page for the first time and read this…

View attachment 2092056
Clap, clap

or walk away from AFL and follow your SANFL team....

 

[davos44]

I don't think Dowlings disposal is good enough for this .....Rankine, Soligo, Dawson, Curtin

He hit Walker twice with clever kicks, not just bombing long. All those guys I would have kicking forward as well

 

[feenix67]

I always benchmark everything ....rookies, other team trends ....as you know, I watch every game of every round ....and then study stats extensively

It's certainly not the first time a very young team has hit a hurdle in developing .....even last year, the Club was talking about development not being linear
So the big question is .....is this an event or a trend ?

COLL missed the Finals after winning a flag ....they had just 2-3 key injuries ...but enough to unbalance them & remember COLL have one of the oldest and most experienced lists

CARL ....were easily making the top 4 for most of the year ....and only luck had them scrape into 8th spot
IMO supporters would be justified questioning Voss, given the quality & experience on his list

I could add another 3-4 teams .....so what makes the Crows season standout ?

Yep, we didn't get the start to the season correct .....missing Thilthorpe and Murray was huge ....playing Rankine fwd, with our midfield quality, being an issue .....but most on this board wanted Rankine fwd

Players being young & hearing from the Adelaide fishbowl media, Finals was a mere formality .....did get in front of themselves

But, you'll never convince me, that with such a young list, the injuries weren't going to be impactful .....our depth is to young to make any difference .....Edwards, Curtin, Dowling, Taylor ect, don't change team fortunes, they merely compliment a team
No 2-4 game player is going to make a difference to an outcome .....but then the fall-off of Laird & Smith was dramatic ....the injury to Milera consequently was huge, given the need by all teams for a distributor off HB

Rookie players games played in year 1 is fairly standardised across the industry, if you look at the history
Curtin - 4 games
Dowling - 8 games
Taylor - 6 games
Bond - 4 games

Our problem remains, as everyone can see, is the Midfield .....Crouch was **** for most of this year, with his handball crabbing and failing to use space in front of him .....however his last two games was the Crouch of late 2023, kicking V handball & fwd
Soligo, despite his obvious talent ...struggles to play every game at a high level, struggles defensively as a Mid ....but the kid is 21 YO ....and he shouldn't be the #1 or #2 mid for another 2 years

Taylor is a ripper, and I expect big things ....Nankervis another ...but I don't think people allow for these footy baby's at 20 - 21 yo ....they're a long way off being consitently good players

Finally, the Coach ....yeah every young Coach makes mistakes, but that's not the reason for the year .....he can only be judged on the list at his disposal ....and everyone acknowledges the list is thin, inconsistent, but developing

One year blip ....yep, people will accept ....2 years, nah, it's becoming a trend

Really? You watch every game and study the stats...

Did you miss Collingwoods slow start (not unusual for a premier given the subsequent late pre season start). Got too far back and then injuries made it tough, but it was their start that did them in.

Did you miss Carlton getting ravaged by injuries? Not sure it was Voss who caused those...

Nicks isn't a young coach anymore. The inconsistent development is on him. The foolish selections and game day tactics are on him.

Last season was the blip, due to a soft draw and dream injury run, but even that year was driven by youth in the first third of the season. The second halfnof that season was not much better than this year's results.

Maybe go back and rewatch.

 

[MRB37]

Everyone wanted Rankine forward LOL

What a troll job.

 

[Dangerousfield]

If you say so ....but it doesn't make it so

And what about Longmuir .....two years out of the Finals, with one of the best midfield's in the AFL ....there should be questions asked of him ....no excuses, few injuries

Longmuir isn't playing a Murphy in every game at the expense of talented youngsters getting exposure. The constant selection of Murphy has to bring Nicks judgement into question. Persisting with cooked and talentless players, Nicks has NFI

 

[fog]

Unfortunately, the only way Nicks is going anywhere in the short term, is through a major player revolt.

Sounds like there are so rumblings, hope it escalates.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

He hit Walker twice with clever kicks, not just bombing long. All those guys I would have kicking forward as well

Yes, but he was aiming for Fogarty

 

[woofsson]

Matthew getting some off-season ink.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Really? You watch every game and study the stats...

Did you miss Collingwoods slow start (not unusual for a premier given the subsequent late pre season start). Got too far back and then injuries made it tough, but it was their start that did them in.

Did you miss Carlton getting ravaged by injuries? Not sure it was Voss who caused those...

Nicks isn't a young coach anymore. The inconsistent development is on him. The foolish selections and game day tactics are on him.

Last season was the blip, due to a soft draw and dream injury run, but even that year was driven by youth in the first third of the season. The second halfnof that season was not much better than this year's results.

Maybe go back and rewatch.

Absolutely .....and the stats from every match, albeit, just the top 6-7 players from each team ....or a player that's had a role change

Whom was the key injuries at CARL the last 6-7 weeks ....De Koning, Cera has hardly played all year, Saad .....but outside De Koning, no structural players ....Curnow, McKay were playing during their poor run & only missed a couple

Sorry, but I think your biases are showing

 

[WaynesWorld19]

I can agree that a developing team can have a blip on its journey (hopefully up)

But my concern with this clip is the games played by developing players like you outlined.

If we'd had the blip and those guys played 12+ each, then sure happy days we are lining on the right track.

But they didn't.

I'll agree injuries to TT, Rankine etc didn't help

OK ....this is where views can become one dimensional ....instead of looking at all the angles

I understand your POV of a player getting 12 games in a rookie season .....say in 3 x 4 game blocks
And teams do this, but with lists that are more mature than ours .....BRIS a winning side last year, could carry Ashcroft ....MELB got 19 games out of Windsor, B4 he flamed out

We had in many games with 3-4 first year players playing ......playing with teammates;
Rachele - 34 games
Soligo - 37 games
Cook - 12 games
Michalanney - 22 games
Hinge - 43games
Worrell - 17 games
Nankervis - 4 games
Keane - 10
**Games at start of 2024

Now I don't care which team you're talking about, playing 3-4 rookies with those guys above, and expecting wins is fanciful, when your experienced players have also fallen off the perch

Criticise Nicks, as is everyone's perogative .....but Clarko only finished with 3 wins for the year, after 2 rounds of Draft Compo picks, and a far better midfield than ours
The Coach can only maximise the list at his disposal .....and it's arguable that Nicks outperformed Clarko .....or give me evidence to the contrary

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Longmuir isn't playing a Murphy in every game at the expense of talented youngsters getting exposure. The constant selection of Murphy has to bring Nicks judgement into question. Persisting with cooked and talentless players, Nicks has NFI

Tell me who plays the Murphy role .....only player I can see potentially next year is Bond

 

[El Doederino]

Tell me who plays the Murphy role .....only player I can see potentially next year is Bond

define the "Murphy role"

 

[jackster83]

OK ....this is where views can become one dimensional ....instead of looking at all the angles

I understand your POV of a player getting 12 games in a rookie season .....say in 3 x 4 game blocks
And teams do this, but with lists that are more mature than ours .....BRIS a winning side last year, could carry Ashcroft ....MELB got 19 games out of Windsor, B4 he flamed out

We had in many games with 3-4 first year players playing ......playing with teammates;
Rachele - 34 games
Soligo - 37 games
Cook - 12 games
Michalanney - 22 games
Hinge - 43games
Worrell - 17 games
Nankervis - 4 games
Keane - 10
**Games at start of 2024

Now I don't care which team you're talking about, playing 3-4 rookies with those guys above, and expecting wins is fanciful, when your experienced players have also fallen off the perch

Criticise Nicks, as is everyone's perogative .....but Clarko only finished with 3 wins for the year, after 2 rounds of Draft Compo picks, and a far better midfield than ours
The Coach can only maximise the list at his disposal .....and it's arguable that Nicks outperformed Clarko .....or give me evidence to the contrary

View attachment 2092312

So when will we be not shit?

2033?

 

[Burtonsgottago]

or walk away from AFL and follow your SANFL team....

My SANFL team was merged years ago. Never felt the same after that. Joke of a comp now anyway.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

define the "Murphy role"

Effectively playing 1 short.

 

[cleanhands]

define the "Murphy role"

Sh*t

 

[feenix67]

Absolutely .....and the stats from every match, albeit, just the top 6-7 players from each team ....or a player that's had a role change

Whom was the key injuries at CARL the last 6-7 weeks ....De Koning, Cera has hardly played all year, Saad .....but outside De Koning, no structural players ....Curnow, McKay were playing during their poor run & only missed a couple

Sorry, but I think your biases are showing

"no structural players"... I assume you're also a believer in the non statistical role?

Acres, Marchbank, McKay, Williams, Cuningham, Curnow, Martin, Fogarty, Boyd to name a few... their issues with soft tissues this year has been Burtonesque. The sheer number of injuries they've had has been their issue. 19 players listed on their injury list as of last week - almost half their squad.

Sorry, but I think your lack of watching is showing...

 

[feenix67]

define the "Murphy role"

A witches hat

 

[Eagleboy2011]

define the "Murphy role"

on-field leadership.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Tell me who plays the Murphy role .....only player I can see potentially next year is Bond

Well, Murphy was out for 6 games injured

In that time we beat Carlton away, smacked Port, tied with Brisbane. Three wins, two losses and a draw overall.

We were 5-12 with Murphy. Not saying that he's solely responsible for those losses but food for thought.

The question is not who could play the Murphy role. It's do we need the Murphy role.

 

[Crow_68]

define the "Murphy role"

Wash cars

 

[feenix67]

Well, Murphy was out for 6 games injured

In that time we beat Carlton away, smacked Port, tied with Brisbane. Three wins, two losses and a draw overall.

We were 5-12 with Murphy. Not saying that he's solely responsible for those losses but food for thought.

The question is not who could play the Murphy role. It's do we need the Murphy role.

Maybe we got the name of the role wrong?

 

[WaynesWorld19]

"no structural players"... I assume you're also a believer in the non statistical role?

Acres, Marchbank, McKay, Williams, Cuningham, Curnow, Martin, Fogarty, Boyd to name a few... their issues with soft tissues this year has been Burtonesque. The sheer number of injuries they've had has been their issue. 19 players listed on their injury list as of last week - almost half their squad.

Sorry, but I think your lack of watching is showing...

It's laughable to even type Williams, Martin, Boyd, Fogarty and Cunningham as having any influence over results .....you're just trying to descredit a point ....mindless thinking

Curnow played 19 games, McKay 18 ....both at the tail end of the season ....they played during CARL bad spell

If that's the degree of you knowledge .....WOW