Review R18: The Good, Bad and Ugly vs. St. Kilda

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Put simply, if Nicks recovers from a 30% W/L to take us to a flag, it will surpass any achievement by any coach in the AFL era. Statistically and literally.
Sadly, next year with a better injury run, a softer draw, and a little more experience in our younger players I can see us challenging for a top 8 spot again

Which more or less means we may be stuck for another 18 months, or worse, in same scenario as Port with Hinkley
 
Sadly, next year with a better injury run, a softer draw, and a little more experience in our younger players I can see us challenging for a top 8 spot again

Which more or less means we may be stuck for another 18 months, or worse, in same scenario as Port with Hinkley

Worst case scenario is we make 8th in 2025, then heading into the final year of his contract in 2026 we extend him for another two years, but fail to make finals again under him
 

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Worst case scenario is we make 8th in 2025, then heading into the final year of his contract in 2026 we extend him for another two years, but fail to make finals again under him
Head Say That Again GIF by Stick Up Music
 
Sadly, next year with a better injury run, a softer draw, and a little more experience in our younger players I can see us challenging for a top 8 spot again

Which more or less means we may be stuck for another 18 months, or worse, in same scenario as Port with Hinkley
That's my concern, that the natural evolution of the list gets us a finals spot (in spite of coaching and development) and we go down the same path as Port, flogging a dead horse for season after season.
 
100% agree. Cannot be carried in the midfield once we get Isaac back IMO. Even next week I'd give Rachele a much larger time in the middle than Laird.
anyone else just a little concerned with Rachele? I thought the conditions might have suited him a bit (a dry hard deck sure doesn't) but he would have been one of the worst performers - again.
 
But it contradicts those espousing Nix held the players back until they were ready. The weren't ready the week prior, had a lot of ground to make up, big jump up from SANFL blah blah.
Semantics and honestly, as I've said, nobody bloody knows what goes on. He believed they had more to work on (and all of the kids clearly DO have something to work on)... injury arises and an opportunity presents itself. He could have said "no, they aren't ready" or he could have said "let's see what they've got". When the cupboard is bare, you make do with what you've got. And sometimes you get pleasantly surprised.
 
Put simply, if Nicks recovers from a 30% W/L to take us to a flag, it will surpass any achievement by any coach in the AFL era. Statistically and literally.
He will be one of the best coaches in pro sport....




Ain't happening.

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anyone else just a little concerned with Rachele? I thought the conditions might have suited him a bit (a dry hard deck sure doesn't) but he would have been one of the worst performers - again.
I disagree. I thought he worked incredibly hard all night, pushing the ball forward, doing the team things. Keays, Laird and Soligo all had a worse DE% than Rachele did.
 
Worst case scenario is we make 8th in 2025, then heading into the final year of his contract in 2026 we extend him for another two years, but fail to make finals again under him
Genuine concern about this.


Season 2024 has shown he is tactically inept. His first real season there is expectation to make coaching moves to win games.

Has failed. Ultra defensive knee jerk game plan. Sub use is horrible. Calling a cooked Smithers the future and failing to cut Laird's midfield time easy examples of his inept coaching.

But we are quite likely, with better injury run and Rankine not suspended, to make 7/8th next year.


The concern is that our list is good enough to "contend " but the coaching not good enough to win a flag.





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Semantics and honestly, as I've said, nobody bloody knows what goes on. He believed they had more to work on (and all of the kids clearly DO have something to work on)... injury arises and an opportunity presents itself. He could have said "no, they aren't ready" or he could have said "let's see what they've got". When the cupboard is bare, you make do with what you've got. And sometimes you get pleasantly surprised.
What about Nank not debuting this year until round 4, playing well, made sub after a strong game against Port to fit Smith in after he produced two kick ins when he came on as the sub against Port.

Do you think Nicks held Nank back because he wasn’t ready or was it blatant favouring an out of form senior player over a talented kid who showed last year he was ready? Or you playing we don’t know card?
 

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I'm not going to take for granted that someone with loser instincts like Matthew Nicks will make the finals at some point.
 
What about Nank not debuting this year until round 4, playing well, made sub after a strong game against Port to fit Smith in after he produced two kick ins when he came on as the sub against Port.

Do you think Nicks held Nank back because he wasn’t ready or was it blatant favouring an out of form senior player over a talented kid who showed last year he was ready? Or you playing we don’t know card?
or the constant calls from the fans to get Woz in the side. took a season long injury to Dood for him to get a chance.
 
Genuine concern about this.


Season 2024 has shown he is tactically inept. His first real season there is expectation to make coaching moves to win games.

Has failed. Ultra defensive knee jerk game plan. Sub use is horrible. Calling a cooked Smithers the future and failing to cut Laird's midfield time easy examples of his inept coaching.

But we are quite likely, with better injury run and Rankine not suspended, to make 7/8th next year.


The concern is that our list is good enough to "contend " but the coaching not good enough to win a flag.





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I think rachele will be elite. But it won't happen under nicks. They are going to waste another year with this loser in charge.
 
Beyond Ugly: Inviting Brett Burton to Present Bonds Guernsey on Saturday Night. The work of our own M. Ricciuto.

What a ****ing disgrace.

So Roo arranged that?


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So he's already playing to the standard of a 100 gamer. That's pretty decent!

Joking of course, but the critical difference is that Cook has played 25 games and Murphy has played 109. If Cook is still putting up those numbers in 80 games time (or even 20-30) then we'll consider him a lost cause.

I don't think anyone is disputing that he needs to get involved more, but he's composed and has generally good disposal. Players like Tom Lynch weren't finding much of it at the same age either. Personally he's earned another 20 odd games to see if he can get more of it before writing him off completely, as he's a player you're generally happy to see disposing of the ball rather than covering your eyes. Absolutely agree though that he needs to get more of it, and personally I also often have the same realisation of "Oh there he is" when he pops up.

So another 20 odd games puts him in McHenry territory? In terms of games played before we started to make him sub and then started completely leaving him out


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Lets go to the time line of events.

Curtin plays deep defense for the first few rounds of the Sanfl, doesnt star and Nicks does say about a week to 2 weeks before he was selected that he was in no rush to play Curtin. The media keep talking about his non selection considering at the time we were losing. Curtin is played in his favoured running position against North, dominates the game and whammo just like this he is selected.

He is then played deep defense away from his running position and subbed both times after really just 2 quarters of football. Interesting to note both times Curtin played there was a sub selected who can play defense. This did not happen for Dowling or Bond who both started the games. So why was it different for Curtin? because its obvious Curtin was a planned sub.

As for your paragraph. I agree with most of your points. I am talking media pressure at the time.

We need midfielders. We need to get as high in the draft as possible. win loss means very little. Getting games and getting to know the list in preparation for next season is the priority.

You dont need to jump to Nicks defense over Curtin. He got it wrong, shouldnt have selected him then if he was only going to play him where he did. Should have played him in that running half back position. And if you think Nicks was in the right, how do you explain Keane being allowed to play a whole game against Sydney in what was clearly a very very bad game and he leaked goals faster than Curtin did. And Keane played the next week. Talk to me about that one.

Ok, I'm not going to disagree with your timeline of events, as we can base that on fact.

Curtin starts off in the SANFL as the tallest defender in a side of very short people due to injuries and poor top-ups. He is played as a key defender and doesn't do that well - nobody is happy with the state of the squad to allow that, but it seems that the crows take the opportunity to see if Curtin can play key position. Despite not playing that well, Curtin is getting the ball, although the game against Glenelg he was out of his depth.

The next week he is moved up the ground, and responds by getting 31 disposal and gets forward to kick a goal against North.

He is rewarded with a debut vs Port. He plays pretty well, I kept a close eye on him at the game and thought while a couple of times he look lost, he was also ignored a couple of times as players chose to go up the boundary line out of defense instead of cutting back in to Curtin. He looked a bit tired at the end, with Smith as the sub it wasn't a surprise he was subbed off. A good start.

Next game was a bit tougher, unfortunately he was subbed off after Brisbane outcoached that match up, putting Ah Chee on Curtin and exposing his lack of pace out the back.

Back to the SANFL, where Curtin continues to build his game, never dropping below 10 possessions. He doesn't play KPD again, even though week 3 lives on in the memory of posters like it was last weekend.

Curtin finally moves up onto the ball and Dowling and Taylor both move up to AFL, although you wouldn't know it on here, as the memory of that game at full back vs Glenelg is seared into the minds of the more repetitive posters.

Some posters are calling for Curtin to ask for a trade at this point. Meanwhile Curtin plays pretty well in a losing side against Norwood, as the legs continue to dominate the SANFL. Curtin kick 2 goals, and probably could have kicked two more from marks inside 50.

The media isn't calling for Curtin to come into the side, must be because they don't realise their voice at match committee is so strong.

Meanwhile, we all wait in anticipation for Curtin to return to the side. We know that Nicks rarely changes sides that win, except to return proved first 18 players back into the team (like Thilthorpe). But surely Curtin is only a couple more games away from playing.

I'd be penciling in round 22 against the bulldogs as the game to watch for a comeback, but hoping he is in next week vs Essendon for Smith - but it doesn't seem likely with Hinge already to come back in. If he comes back R22, Curtin can get 3 more games in for the year.
 
So coaches votes as follows

Adelaide v St Kilda​

8 Ben Keays (ADEL)
6 Lachlan Sholl (ADEL)
5 Jordan Dawson (ADEL)
5 Rory Laird (ADEL)
3 Jake Soligo (ADEL)
3 Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (STK)

You would think they were as follows -

5 Jordan Dawson (ADEL)
4 Ben Keays (ADEL)
3 Lachlan Sholl (ADEL)
2 Jake Soligo (ADEL)
1 Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (STK)

Or​

5 Rory Laird (ADEL)
4 Ben Keays (ADEL)
3 Lachlan Sholl (ADEL)
2 Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (STK)
1 Jake Soligo (ADEL)

So did Nicks give Laird 5 votes?
 
So coaches votes as follows

Adelaide v St Kilda​

8 Ben Keays (ADEL)
6 Lachlan Sholl (ADEL)
5 Jordan Dawson (ADEL)
5 Rory Laird (ADEL)
3 Jake Soligo (ADEL)
3 Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (STK)

You would think they were as follows -

5 Jordan Dawson (ADEL)
4 Ben Keays (ADEL)
3 Lachlan Sholl (ADEL)
2 Jake Soligo (ADEL)
1 Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (STK)

Or​

5 Rory Laird (ADEL)
4 Ben Keays (ADEL)
3 Lachlan Sholl (ADEL)
2 Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (STK)
1 Jake Soligo (ADEL)

So did Nicks give Laird 5 votes?
Ross Lyon ain't giving Laird any votes.

0 hurt factor.

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Review R18: The Good, Bad and Ugly vs. St. Kilda

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