Opinion Matthew Nicks: Adelaide's Coach

[Interloperer]

Say what you will about Nicks.

But when he took over Tyson Stengle

18

Tyson Stengle

Age

26

Ht

175cm

Wt

71kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.3

2star

K

5.8

2star

HB

3.5

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

10.3

3star

K

5.3

2star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.3

1star

T

2.0

3star

G

0.5

4star

D

8.8

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.6

4star

G

1.6

5star

was struggling to get a game at AFL level for the Crows, and in the three years that Matthew Nicks

Matthew Nicks

Age

49

Ht

187cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.6

3star

K

9.4

4star

HB

4.2

3star

M

4.1

4star

T

1.7

4star

G

0.7

4star

No current season stats available

D

6.6

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

2.2

3star

T

1.4

4star

G

0.4

3star

has been in charge at Adelaide he's grown into an All-Australian.

 

[FR0GGY]

Going to be an interesting first 10 games of next season.

Our wins came against:

0-2 Port
2-2 Tigers
2-3 Bulldogs
1-10 Eagles
1-12 North
12-6 Carlton
2-17 Eagles
2-18 North

We beat 2 finals teams (Tigers/Bulldogs).

This was all done with one of the easiest fixtures combined with probably the healthiest list in the AFL.

Its surely finals or bust for Nicks in 2023.

thats a 22-70 record for the wins

 

[George Kramer]

thats a 22-70 record for the wins

No wonder we faded against Port, must have been knackered

 

[LeftyLuke]

Say what you will about Nicks.

But when he took over Tyson Stengle was struggling to get a game at AFL level for the Crows, and in the three years that Matthew Nicks has been in charge at Adelaide he's grown into an All-Australian.

That's looking like a great decision to show him the door. It's all good we have McHenry.

 

[MRB37]

I get the feeling that when Nicks gets moved on, we're gonna have another "Sando Spike" with whoever comes in. Nicks current gameplan is very limited in who can excel in it I think, which is why guys like Berry and Soligo have immediately looked quality, but there's so many others who have struggled at times.

 

[AFC979810]

I get the feeling that when Nicks gets moved on, we're gonna have another "Sando Spike" with whoever comes in. Nicks current gameplan is very limited in who can excel in it I think, which is why guys like Berry and Soligo have immediately looked quality, but there's so many others who have struggled at times.

Absolutely. I think he is very reactive and not a very tactical coach.

A great senior assistant would be a huge addition for us in 2023.

 

[LeftyLuke]

I get the feeling that when Nicks gets moved on, we're gonna have another "Sando Spike" with whoever comes in. Nicks current gameplan is very limited in who can excel in it I think, which is why guys like Berry and Soligo have immediately looked quality, but there's so many others who have struggled at times.

I hear what your saying but Berry and Soligo are very good players and would do well under any coach imo but Nick's is not maximising our list which is the chief role of a coach. He seems very fixed to one way of doing things. A very Neale Craig , Don Pyke philosophy. I only hope we nail the next coaching appointment.

 

[AFC979810]

I hear what your saying but Berry and Soligo are very good players and would do well under any coach imo but Nick's is not maximising our list which is the chief role of a coach. He seems very fixed to one way of doing things. A very Neale Craig , Don Pyke philosophy. I only hope we nail the next coaching appointment.

He is a lot more flexible than you are giving him credit for.

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

I get the feeling that when Nicks gets moved on, we're gonna have another "Sando Spike" with whoever comes in. Nicks current gameplan is very limited in who can excel in it I think, which is why guys like Berry and Soligo have immediately looked quality, but there's so many others who have struggled at times.

Would be a decent chance even with only mining tweaking to the gameplan. By 2024 our list age and experience will starting hitting the range where a lot of young teams show dramatic improvement, plus the benefit of multiple pre-seasons under Burgess.

 

[LeftyLuke]

He is a lot more flexible than you are giving him credit for.

He seems very fixed on a defensive gameplan and what positions players will be played. He has made a few changes such as throwing Murray into the ruck and forward but generally these changes are when the game is over.

 

[dylan123]

This one probably isn't so much on Nicks himself as it's been similar to our other appointed coaches of late but I'm envious of seeing Clarko come in and in a week they're moving on from their footy boss, an assistant and development coach.

Mightn't even be a cross on the guys moved on but more him bringing in some people he wants to be around. Our newly appointed coaches seem to get stuck with what comes with the joint, do wonder how much this is getting someone with some proper experience like Clarko who knows what he wants and would demand it.

 

[MRB37]

This one probably isn't so much on Nicks himself as it's been similar to our other appointed coaches of late but I'm envious of seeing Clarko come in and in a week they're moving on from their footy boss, an assistant and development coach.

Mightn't even be a cross on the guys moved on but more him bringing in some people he wants to be around. Our newly appointed coaches seem to get stuck with what comes with the joint, do wonder how much this is getting someone with some proper experience like Clarko who knows what he wants and would demand it.

Nick's eventually got Rahilly, Burns, VB and Bello brought in as coaches with Burgess as head of fitness, Chris Sheedy heading up our analytics and a new Head of Footy and CEO. It's not like Nicks has been stuck with Pyke's leftovers, it just took a year longer due to the late appointment and then COVID.

 

[dylan123]

Nick's eventually got Rahilly, Burns, VB and Bello brought in as coaches with Burgess as head of fitness, Chris Sheedy heading up our analytics and a new Head of Footy and CEO. It's not like Nicks has been stuck with Pyke's leftovers, it just took a year longer due to the late appointment and then COVID.

That's kind of the thing with a lot of our coaches though, it's all been eventually rather then coming in and bringing in some guys on arrival.

 

[George Kramer]

That's kind of the thing with a lot of our coaches though, it's all been eventually rather then coming in and bringing in some guys on arrival.

Nick's eventually got Rahilly, Burns, VB and Bello brought in as coaches with Burgess as head of fitness, Chris Sheedy heading up our analytics and a new Head of Footy and CEO. It's not like Nicks has been stuck with Pyke's leftovers, it just took a year longer due to the late appointment and then COVID.

Remember the days of Ben Hart, wow. How bad a club were we.

 

[jackster83]

That's kind of the thing with a lot of our coaches though, it's all been eventually rather then coming in and bringing in some guys on arrival.

Bit hard when we had re-contracted most of them just months before the review.

 

[1970crow]

Nick's eventually got Rahilly, Burns, VB and Bello brought in as coaches with Burgess as head of fitness, Chris Sheedy heading up our analytics and a new Head of Footy and CEO. It's not like Nicks has been stuck with Pyke's leftovers, it just took a year longer due to the late appointment and then COVID.

I thought Binuk was our analytics guru?

 

[Greenfinger]

I hear what your saying but Berry and Soligo are very good players and would do well under any coach imo but Nick's is not maximising our list which is the chief role of a coach. He seems very fixed to one way of doing things. A very Neale Craig , Don Pyke philosophy. I only hope we nail the next coaching appointment.

Would have agreed mid year but he changed up a lot more in the back half . He’s no where near as rigid as those former coaches. And to his credit he’s got us playing contested footy which we have never really been known for .

I do think that some better assistant coaching may be needed but nicks is not as horrible as some are making out.

 

[dylan123]

Bit hard when we had re-contracted most of them just months before the review.

Kind of the problem when it was pretty clear for the rest of us that a bit of change was coming.

But I don't recall Sando bringing anyone in. Walsh I think brought in someone who was coaching in WA if I recall correctly.

 

[GreyCrow]

Are we heading towards another decision point?

Nick's has his coaches, he will have Rankine and another - there has been improvement in the ladder direction

Will we be seduced and extend again in 2023?

 

[1970crow]

Would have agreed mid year but he changed up a lot more in the back half . He’s no where near as rigid as those former coaches. And to his credit he’s got us playing contested footy which we have never really been known for .

I do think that some better assistant coaching may be needed but nicks is not as horrible as some are making out.

Nix isn’t horrible, he’s just a really bad coach for a rebuild. Had he inherited what Pyke had, we’d have won more games over those 3 years. But to go from rebuild to success you need some dare and be prepared to take a backward step or 2 to improve the future. Maybe even miss a couple of 4 points along the way. Nix is solely focussed on the 4 points each week.

 

[AFC979810]

Would have agreed mid year but he changed up a lot more in the back half . He’s no where near as rigid as those former coaches. And to his credit he’s got us playing contested footy which we have never really been known for .

I do think that some better assistant coaching may be needed but nicks is not as horrible as some are making out.

Even early on there was a willingness to try new things.

Remember Round 2? After being ridiculously sluggish in the first half against Freo, Nicks decided to implement a chip around hands off style to start round 2. It failed miserably, was a terrible idea BUT it showed a willingness to try new things.

 

[Greenfinger]

Even early on there was a willingness to try new things.

Remember Round 2? After being ridiculously sluggish in the first half against Freo, Nicks decided to implement a chip around hands off style to start round 2. It failed miserably, was a terrible idea BUT it showed a willingness to try new things.

The carton game when he finally backed in the young midfield and pushed Keays forward shows this too. The frustration is that he needs to be starting the year that way not playing conservative. I do understand the criticism on here but I hope we have seen a change. Unlike Craig and pyke he doesn’t seem to have a fixed mindset

 

[AFC979810]

Nix isn’t horrible, he’s just a really bad coach for a rebuild. Had he inherited what Pyke had, we’d have won more games over those 3 years. But to go from rebuild to success you need some dare and be prepared to take a backward step or 2 to improve the future. Maybe even miss a couple of 4 points along the way. Nix is solely focussed on the 4 points each week.

Disagree 100%.

He WAS the perfect guy at the end of 2019. He has returned stability, built a pretty solid culture and the team plays for him.

Personally, I don't think he is the guy that should keep going though. I think he lacks footy smarts and it would be best for someone to take over from here.

 

[MRB37]

Kind of the problem when it was pretty clear for the rest of us that a bit of change was coming.

But I don't recall Sando bringing anyone in. Walsh I think brought in someone who was coaching in WA if I recall correctly.

Sando brought in Darren Milburn.

Walsh wanted Brendan Lade, but he was still contracted, tried to get Darren Glass, but he said no to coaching and came on as a part time leadership coach. He also got David Teague who he'd worked with at West Coast.

Pyke tried for Justin Longmuir and Peter Sumich, but got told no on them.

 

[1970crow]

Even early on there was a willingness to try new things.

Remember Round 2? After being ridiculously sluggish in the first half against Freo, Nicks decided to implement a chip around hands off style to start round 2. It failed miserably, was a terrible idea BUT it showed a willingness to try new things.

That wasn’t new, he’d used it the year before. It’s purely about minimising damage. It’s the same shit, just with a layer of time wasting added. Funny when I heard VB say they had levers they could pull to open up the game. Yeh mate, we’ve all seen Dawson released up the ground too.