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

[Southerntakeover]

So hang on - Luko was the test because he was happy to stay at Gold Coast but chose Port over us. But Rankine, Dawson, Cumming weren't a test because they wanted to come to SA (even though Port wanted them and our sales pitch beat out ports).

Your posting is really intelligent.




Not of poaching best 22 players from other clubs. We have brought in 7 best 22 players from other clubs in our 30+ years.

3 of the 7 have come in the last 3 years under Nicks.

Darren Jarman 96, Carey 2002, Thompson 2004, Betts 2013, Dawson 2021, Rankine 2022, Cumming 2024.

I'm not sure this is all that meaningful.

We've been in a rebuild, with a focus on acquiring players, and have presumably had more available resource to spend on doing that. You'd expect more player attraction.

We've also been rumoured into a number of people that have re-signed.

 

[AFC979810]

I'm not sure this is all that meaningful.

We've been in a rebuild, with a focus on acquiring players, and have presumably had more available resource to spend on doing that. You'd expect more player attraction.

We've also been rumoured into a number of people that have re-signed.

The proof is in the pudding.

We have been trying to attract other players to our club for years. Even when competing we had the resources to throw out huge offers to players like Dusty and Jeremy Cameron.

I am not sure how securing Dawson, Rankine and Cumming in a 3 year period can be looked at as anything but positive.

 

[Southerntakeover]

The proof is in the pudding.

We have been trying to attract other players to our club for years. Even when competing we had the resources to throw out huge offers to players like Dusty and Jeremy Cameron.

I am not sure how securing Dawson, Rankine and Cumming in a 3 year period can be looked at as anything but positive.

We haven't lured a player like that now...

 

[AFC979810]

We haven't lured a player like that now...

I didn't say we had.

The point was that we HAVE had the resources in the past to attract players better than Dawson, Rankine & Cumming despite not rebuilding.

I think its pretty damn meaningful that in 3 years we have poached 3 best 22 players.

 

[Southerntakeover]

I didn't say we had.

The point was that we HAVE had the resources in the past to attract players better than Dawson, Rankine & Cumming despite not rebuilding.

I think its pretty damn meaningful that in 3 years we have poached 3 best 22 players.

I'm not really sure that's the same thing. That we wanted to be into big fish doesn't prove that we had the same interest in far smaller ones, or the same available resource for players of that calibre.

You keep repeating that its very meaningful, but I don't think you're making much of argument about why its meaningful.

 

[AFC979810]

I'm not really sure that's the same thing. That we wanted to be into big fish doesn't prove that we had the same interest in far smaller ones, or the same available resource for players of that calibre.

You keep repeating that its very meaningful, but I don't think you're making much of argument about why its meaningful.

Why its meaningful? Its meaningful because in our 33 year history we have only attracted 8 best 22 players from other clubs (I quoted 7 earlier but forgot Gibbs). 3 out of the 8 have come in the past 3 years. Thats very meaningful.

Dawson ended up 2nd in our 2022 B&F and won the B&F in his 2nd year as Captain. Rankine came 4th in his first year at the club. How is the addition of these two players anything but meaningful?

How can it not be meaningful that we have stolen 3 players from other clubs in a 3 year period when in the first 30 years as a club we only poached 5 (1 every 6 years). Its a stark difference.

You tried to say its not very meaningful because we had additional resources because we have been down so long. Thats a bullshit argument. Lack of resources is never an issue with recruiting players - look at all the top teams that are able to recruit stars.

The recruitment of Dawson, Rankine and Cumming is one of the only positives our club has had over the past 7 years.

 

[1970crow]

We’ve done it before.

How many on the current board were around then though. I count Roo as one, not sure there’s anyone else left.

 

[1970crow]

He sure does. There is a hell of a lot wrong with him as a coach.

But not sure how you can say that these players aren't coming to play for Nicks.



Thats an absolute terrible post. Port wanted Dawson, Rankine and Cumming who Adelaide secured.

Why was Luko the test, but the other 3 weren't? Our poaching of other clubs players in the past 3 years has actually been the best it has been in the entire history of the club.

It’s easy to say that players aren’t choosing us “to play for Nicks”. There’s plenty of other factors that come into play that result in the decision. The coach, unless they’re a previous coach or universally admired, would barely be a factor at all in the decision. Player agents aren’t stupid, they’d know Nicks is a bad first half of 2025 away from their clients having a new, presently unknown coach.

 

[1970crow]

So hang on - Luko was the test because he was happy to stay at Gold Coast but chose Port over us. But Rankine, Dawson, Cumming weren't a test because they wanted to come to SA (even though Port wanted them and our sales pitch beat out ports).

Your posting is really intelligent.




Not of poaching best 22 players from other clubs. We have brought in 7 best 22 players from other clubs in our 30+ years.

3 of the 7 have come in the last 3 years under Nicks.

Darren Jarman 96, Carey 2002, Thompson 2004, Betts 2013, Dawson 2021, Rankine 2022, Cumming 2024.

Think you’re missing quite a few.

 

[1970crow]

I didn't say we had.

The point was that we HAVE had the resources in the past to attract players better than Dawson, Rankine & Cumming despite not rebuilding.

I think its pretty damn meaningful that in 3 years we have poached 3 best 22 players.

4 years isn’t it? Unless one of Rankine and Dawson had their first year with us this year.

 

[1970crow]

Why its meaningful? Its meaningful because in our 33 year history we have only attracted 8 best 22 players from other clubs (I quoted 7 earlier but forgot Gibbs). 3 out of the 8 have come in the past 3 years. Thats very meaningful.

Dawson ended up 2nd in our 2022 B&F and won the B&F in his 2nd year as Captain. Rankine came 4th in his first year at the club. How is the addition of these two players anything but meaningful?

How can it not be meaningful that we have stolen 3 players from other clubs in a 3 year period when in the first 30 years as a club we only poached 5 (1 every 6 years). Its a stark difference.

You tried to say its not very meaningful because we had additional resources because we have been down so long. Thats a bullshit argument. Lack of resources is never an issue with recruiting players - look at all the top teams that are able to recruit stars.

The recruitment of Dawson, Rankine and Cumming is one of the only positives our club has had over the past 7 years.

Are you taking into account the numerous years where we had Neil Craig and his very well known aversion to acquiring players via trade. That’s nearly a 3rd of our trading history right there.

 

[AFC979810]

It’s easy to say that players aren’t choosing us “to play for Nicks”. There’s plenty of other factors that come into play that result in the decision. The coach, unless they’re a previous coach or universally admired, would barely be a factor at all in the decision. Player agents aren’t stupid, they’d know Nicks is a bad first half of 2025 away from their clients having a new, presently unknown coach.

Its a pretty big decision to go to a club and the head coach would be a big part of that IMO. Sure there are a myriad of factors, but head coach would have to be right up there alongside $$$, Location, Trajectory of the club.

Think you’re missing quite a few.

Only Gibbs. I guess you could throw in Torney as well, but that was more steaknives.

You could have possibly thrown in Tony Hall.

4 years isn’t it? Unless one of Rankine and Dawson had their first year with us this year.

Nah 3 years. We signed Dawson in October of 2021, Rankine in October of 2022 and Cumming in October 24. Thats 3 years of actual time (but 4 trade periods).

 

[AFC979810]

Are you taking into account the numerous years where we had Neil Craig and his very well known aversion to acquiring players via trade. That’s nearly a 3rd of our trading history right there.

Thought it was pretty obvious that I was talking about 8 best 22 players in 30 years. And then 3 in 3 years.

 

[1970crow]

Its a pretty big decision to go to a club and the head coach would be a big part of that IMO. Sure there are a myriad of factors, but head coach would have to be right up there alongside $$$, Location, Trajectory of the club.


Only Gibbs. I guess you could throw in Torney as well, but that was more steaknives.

You could have possibly thrown in Tony Hall.


Nah 3 years. We signed Dawson in October of 2021, Rankine in October of 2022 and Cumming in October 24. Thats 3 years of actual time (but 4 trade periods).

So it’s actually 4, you’re being disingenuous.

 

[1970crow]

Thought it was pretty obvious that I was talking about 8 best 22 players in 30 years. And then 3 in 3 years.

But for a decade we didn’t even try to acquire best 22 players via trade. We’ve had 3 distinct periods in terms of trade, only been in the market for 20 years.

 

[AFC979810]

So it’s actually 4, you’re being disingenuous.

Happy to play by those boundaries.

So 8 (possible 10) players in 29 years.

And then 3 players in 4 years.

Still bloody meaningful and a massive change from our past history as a football club.

 

[1970crow]

Its a pretty big decision to go to a club and the head coach would be a big part of that IMO. Sure there are a myriad of factors, but head coach would have to be right up there alongside $$$, Location, Trajectory of the club.


Only Gibbs. I guess you could throw in Torney as well, but that was more steaknives.

You could have possibly thrown in Tony Hall.


Nah 3 years. We signed Dawson in October of 2021, Rankine in October of 2022 and Cumming in October 24. Thats 3 years of actual time (but 4 trade periods).

Just out of interest, are you saying that the senior coach you’ve been saying is totally incompetent is a primary reason that players have chosen to come to us? Even though they’d know he’ll be on a knife edge if we start poorly next year?

 

[AFC979810]

But for a decade we didn’t even try to acquire best 22 players via trade. We’ve had 3 distinct periods in terms of trade, only been in the market for 20 years.

You are cherry picking stats and I am in disingenuous?

Fine - lets try and manipulate it as far as we can for you.

Lets remove the 7 offseasons where Neil Craig was in charge (No real reason to other)

Thats then 7-9 players brought in over 22 years excluding Craig and 3 players brought in over 4 years. Still pretty meaningful.

 

[1970crow]

You are cherry picking stats and I am in disingenuous?

Fine - lets try and manipulate it as far as we can for you.

Lets remove the 7 offseasons where Neil Craig was in charge (No real reason to other)

Thats then 7-9 players brought in over 22 years excluding Craig and 3 players brought in over 4 years. Still pretty meaningful.

It depends on how you define best 22 though. I’d include the likes of Troy Bond, Bruce Lindner, Greg Anderson, Tony McGuinness.

 

[AFC979810]

Just out of interest, are you saying that the senior coach you’ve been saying is totally incompetent is a primary reason that players have chosen to come to us?

Look I am not saying that Mathew Nicks is out there as the sole reason as to why these players are coming here - but he has to be a very big part of it.

With Dawson and Rankine - Nicks was a huge part of it. There can be no logical assertion otherwise.

EDIT - Just wanted to clarify my opinion of Nicks. I think he is completely incompetent on the Football side of coaching. AFL Head Coaching is a hell of a lot more than just tactics. By all reports I think he is really good with the players, does fine in the media, and did a great job in turning around the culture and the unhappiness at the club.

Nicks is a great salesman. He is universally liked. How could he have survived into a 6th year without making the finals when no other coach at our club has survived 2?

Even though they’d know he’ll be on a knife edge if we start poorly next year?

This only applies to Cumming.

Cumming is a restricted Free Agent. He could have gone to any club he wanted. You would think the onfield opportunity would have been a part of why he chose us and that all comes down to Nicks (although it could have just been about the $$$ - we will never know).

Dawson was brought in at the end of 2021 and Rankine at the end of 2022.

 

[AFC979810]

It depends on how you define best 22 though. I’d include the likes of Troy Bond, Bruce Lindner, Greg Anderson, Tony McGuinness.

Great - add Bond & Anderson. Wouldn't agree with Lindner / McGuinness as they were foundation members.

Even giving you all the concessions players you want - Add Bond, Lindner, Anderson, McGuinnes, Hall, to the other 9 players. Take out the Craig years (because apparently we weren't looking to better our team - even though the Scott Thompson trade happened under him).

Thats still 15 players in 22 years compared to 3 out of 4 years. Chalk and Cheese. Some might even say meaningful.

 

[1970crow]

Look I am not saying that Mathew Nicks is out there as the sole reason as to why these players are coming here - but he has to be a very big part of it.

With Dawson and Rankine - Nicks was a huge part of it. There can be no logical assertion otherwise.

Nicks is a great salesman. He is universally liked. How has he survived into a 6th year without making the finals when no other coach at our club has survived 2?



This only applies to Cumming.

Cumming is a restricted Free Agent. He could have gone to any club he wanted. You would think the onfield opportunity would have been a part of why he chose us and that all comes down to Nicks (although it could have just been about the $$$ - we will never know).

Dawson was brought in at the end of 2021 and Rankine at the end of 2022.

How can there be no other logical assertion. All 3 wanted to come home, from there it’s choice between only 2 clubs. The difference between coaches would have ranked very low compared to the other factors like contract. None of these players are comparing Ncks against 17 other coaches, they’d already chosen Adelaide and then picked the best fit from there.

 

[1970crow]

Great - add Bond & Anderson. Wouldn't agree with Lindner / McGuinness as they were foundation members.

Even giving you all the concessions players you want - Add Bond, Lindner, Anderson, McGuinnes, Hall, to the other 9 players. Take out the Craig years (because apparently we weren't looking to better our team - even though the Scott Thompson trade happened under him).

Thats still 15 players in 22 years compared to 3 out of 4 years. Chalk and Cheese. Some might even say meaningful.

It’s really not though, unless you can’t do maths. 15/22 is not materially different to 3/4. If we go next year without an acquisition, recent history drops behind the early years.

 

[1970crow]

Great - add Bond & Anderson. Wouldn't agree with Lindner / McGuinness as they were foundation members.

Even giving you all the concessions players you want - Add Bond, Lindner, Anderson, McGuinnes, Hall, to the other 9 players. Take out the Craig years (because apparently we weren't looking to better our team - even though the Scott Thompson trade happened under him).

Thats still 15 players in 22 years compared to 3 out of 4 years. Chalk and Cheese. Some might even say meaningful.

Matthew Clarke, Jason McCartney.

 

[1970crow]

Barry Standfield