Opinion Matthew Nicks: Adelaide's Coach

[jackster83]

Hmmm I might be remembering a different game v Melbourne, then. There have been enough sh*t ones in recent years that they kind of blend together.

They turn into the Harlem Globetrotters every time they play us. Even the biggest spud in the history of football, Michael Newton played the best game of his career against us.

 

[skam85]

Actually they kicked 12 goals after half time (compared to our three). They tagged Sloane and we simply gave up.

That sounds familiar

 

[Mr_Moogle]

I believe Heath Younie should be moved up as well. He has done a great job with the SANFL side.

I think Younie already got bumped up and then back down again.

 

[AFC3000]

I understand the call for Younie to get a promotion but at the same time, if we are going with a strong youth focus over the next couple of years (won't all be in the AFL side) why not have the best person for that job doing that job?

Development can't just be job we give to the guys who are no good at AFL level.

His talent is already at the club, we have limited positions to bring people in, for once can we bring some experienced people in near the top to give us a boost in overall strength rather than shuffle people around and promote from within.

I know it's late and moving people to Adelaide is tough, but if the importance of a plan to implement things that makes getting quality people to Adelaide wasn't one of the review suggestions I'd be pretty disappointed.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

I understand the call for Younie to get a promotion but at the same time, if we are going with a strong youth focus over the next couple of years (won't all be in the AFL side) why not have the best person for that job doing that job?

Development can't just be job we give to the guys who are no good at AFL level.

Evidently the club feels the same way. They kicked out O'Keefe and moved Younie back to the SANFL side because he was better in that role. I agree with your point. If Younie is good in that role, and he's okay with staying put, why not just keep him there?

 

[CrowBloke]

Not the best fitness coach? His innovative fitness regime helped as win two premierships. Intense training period in the lead up to finals, then tapering - that was Neil Craig. As I said above, he was also responsible for the swarming attack from defence.

... and 'zoning'.
Craig studied netball and NBL basketball zoning and set up the Crows in zones. Focused on turnovers and getting the ball back from the oppo, making players think more about what they were doing when opponents had the ball. Also looked at 'set plays' in gridiron.
Zoning worked often and was copied extensively.
Problem is, sometimes a zone breaks down or a side finds a way to counter it ==> Plan B required eg go man-to-man to slow a side down. Craig didn't have one. Nor Pyke.
Also, sometimes players need the Blight-freedom to do something good/innovative/different outside of structure and/or zoning rules --- they need to be able to show individual flair if the moment calls for it. I'm not talking specifically about unloading a torp, although that's one small example.
Blight encouraged players to TRY something and if it worked, do it again. If it didn't work, try something else (eg I don't think Blighty would have minded Eddie going for MOTY --- ONCE a game --- but go back to crumbing if it didn't happen).
P.S. when Blight first came to the Crows he played some players out of their 'regular' position. My mate Fred and I were a bit confused, but it occurred to me later that he was trying to instill some variety/flexibility into them, to play multiple roles if needed, to plug a hole or replace someone injured on the day.

 

[jenny61_99]

... and 'zoning'.
Craig studied netball and NBL basketball zoning and set up the Crows in zones. Focused on turnovers and getting the ball back from the oppo, making players think more about what they were doing when opponents had the ball. Also looked at 'set plays' in gridiron.
Zoning worked often and was copied extensively.
Problem is, sometimes a zone breaks down or a side finds a way to counter it ==> Plan B required eg go man-to-man to slow a side down. Craig didn't have one. Nor Pyke.
Also, sometimes players need the Blight-freedom to do something good/innovative/different outside of structure and/or zoning rules --- they need to be able to show individual flair if the moment calls for it. I'm not talking specifically about unloading a torp, although that's one small example.
Blight encouraged players to TRY something and if it worked, do it again. If it didn't work, try something else (eg I don't think Blighty would have minded Eddie going for MOTY --- ONCE a game --- but go back to crumbing if it didn't happen).
P.S. when Blight first came to the Crows he played some players out of their 'regular' position. My mate Fred and I were a bit confused, but it occurred to me later that he was trying to instill some variety/flexibility into them, to play multiple roles if needed, to plug a hole or replace someone injured on the day.

Craig also liked that so much he expanded it further so that everyone knew everyone’s role and hence we became the Crowbots. It was the “man down: next man up” concept.

 

[GreyCrow]

Evidently the club feels the same way. They kicked out O'Keefe and moved Younie back to the SANFL side because he was better in that role. I agree with your point. If Younie is good in that role, and he's okay with staying put, why not just keep him there?

Im not sure the club kicked O'Keefe out at all. On Trends podcast O'Keefe talked about the amount of hours required to dedicate to a role and he felt he couldnt do it

 

[Red mist]

... and 'zoning'.
Craig studied netball and NBL basketball zoning and set up the Crows in zones. Focused on turnovers and getting the ball back from the oppo, making players think more about what they were doing when opponents had the ball. Also looked at 'set plays' in gridiron.
Zoning worked often and was copied extensively.
Problem is, sometimes a zone breaks down or a side finds a way to counter it ==> Plan B required eg go man-to-man to slow a side down. Craig didn't have one. Nor Pyke.
Also, sometimes players need the Blight-freedom to do something good/innovative/different outside of structure and/or zoning rules --- they need to be able to show individual flair if the moment calls for it. I'm not talking specifically about unloading a torp, although that's one small example.
Blight encouraged players to TRY something and if it worked, do it again. If it didn't work, try something else (eg I don't think Blighty would have minded Eddie going for MOTY --- ONCE a game --- but go back to crumbing if it didn't happen).
P.S. when Blight first came to the Crows he played some players out of their 'regular' position. My mate Fred and I were a bit confused, but it occurred to me later that he was trying to instill some variety/flexibility into them, to play multiple roles if needed, to plug a hole or replace someone injured on the day.

Zoning sucks with 6/6/6. We grass guarded and zoned and let teams run right through us.
herding the ball movement was negative as we just only decreased the time that a team still scored.

 

[Red mist]

Isnt it pretty obvious that Nicks is going to peruse multi stoppage for field position. We are going to grind next yr out of defensive fifty.
The mids are going to not hang back so much for the easy feed and it’s going to be more dire back there and as Sydney has done in the past. Stoppage is king.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Isnt it pretty obvious that Nicks is going to peruse multi stoppage for field position. We are going to grind next yr out of defensive fifty.
The mids are going to not hang back so much for the easy feed and it’s going to be more dire back there and as Sydney has done in the past. Stoppage is king.

He said he would be all about that turnover game though.

 

[kulak]

He said he would be all about that turnover game though.

He was playing supporter buzzword bingo.

 

[Red mist]

He said he would be all about that turnover game though.

Turnovers out of stoppage. Cut it quickly.

 

[MRB37]

Im not sure the club kicked O'Keefe out at all. On Trends podcast O'Keefe talked about the amount of hours required to dedicate to a role and he felt he couldnt do it

Was more interested in riding his bike around.

Coaches in the TAC Cup now, so I'm sure he's got more time now to do it.

 

[CutAboveTheRest]

I think Younie already got bumped up and then back down again.

Let's hope it stays that way

 

[CrowBloke]

Zoning sucks with 6/6/6. We grass guarded and zoned and let teams run right through us.
herding the ball movement was negative as we just only decreased the time that a team still scored.

Jen and I were discussing zoning in the Craig era, years before 6/6/6 under which rules zoning does not work at centre bounces. 6/6/6 creates the need to man up for centre bounces and have fast-running players who can create a quick loose man.
This year, teams ran through and around us because the Crows' dispiritied and jaded players did not run both ways, harass and chase opponents.

Anyway, NICKS --- it'll be interesting to see what he comes up with for the 6/6/6, and the rest of it.

Isnt it pretty obvious that Nicks is going to peruse multi stoppage for field position. We are going to grind next yr out of defensive fifty. The mids are going to not hang back so much for the easy feed and it’s going to be more dire back there and as Sydney has done in the past. Stoppage is king.

Like everything else, this remains to be seen.
I think the game has moved past the Sydney "stoppage is king" technique.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Let's hope it stays that way

What's your beef with Younie?

 

[crows dude]

Evidently the club feels the same way. They kicked out O'Keefe and moved Younie back to the SANFL side because he was better in that role. I agree with your point. If Younie is good in that role, and he's okay with staying put, why not just keep him there?

Okeefe quit. It was all set that Hart would take the SANFL side then Francou quit so we moved Hart to the forwards and had Younie take the SANFL side rather than one of the development coaches. Younie is head of Development.

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Okeefe quit. It was all set that Hart would take the SANFL side then Francou quit so we moved Hart to the forwards and had Younie take the SANFL side rather than one of the development coaches. Younie is head of Development.

Either way I'm glad to be rid of him.

 

[mistylake]

Starts with Banksia?

Before it went International?

 

[Thetrader15]

Craig also liked that so much he expanded it further so that everyone knew everyone’s role and hence we became the Crowbots. It was the “man down: next man up” concept.

The problem was even the opposition knew everyone's role

 

[Slippery Pete]

Teams collectively end up adopting the personality of their coach.

Think about that, carefully. It’s true in almost all cases.

Teams with freakish coaches tend to do freakish things (think Crows under Blight). Teams with an a-hole for a coach tend to play like arseholes (think Port under Chocco).

Teams with pragmatic, clear, logical thinkers tend to play that way (think Brisbane under Matthews, think Geelong under C Scott).

Teams with unsociable taggers as coaches tend to play unsociable football (think Hawthorn under Clarkson).

Teams with a dour, defensive battler for a coach tend to play that way (think West Coast under Malthouse).

The general mechanics of the gameplan might change from year to year, but the overarching personality trait of the collective reflects the coach. Richmond play like Hardwick. They do a lot of off-the-ball stuff that gets under their opponents’ skin. So do GWS. Not every coach concentrates on that stuff, but Hardwick and Cameron do.

There’s many ways to skin a cat.

So what personality does Nicks have?

 

[mattymac]

Teams collectively end up adopting the personality of their coach.

Think about that, carefully. It’s true in almost all cases.

This is an interesting philosophical point. I have a theory that nations often take on the traits of their leaders in a similar way.

Compare the beige blandness of Australian society in the Howard-Rudd-Gillard-Morrison eras compared to the more swashbuckling irreverent Hawke era.

On Nicks though, it all seems a bit Sando to me.

 

[BRL121]

Teams collectively end up adopting the personality of their coach.

Think about that, carefully. It’s true in almost all cases.

Teams with freakish coaches tend to do freakish things (think Crows under Blight). Teams with an a-hole for a coach tend to play like arseholes (think Port under Chocco).

Teams with pragmatic, clear, logical thinkers tend to play that way (think Brisbane under Matthews, think Geelong under C Scott).

Teams with unsociable taggers as coaches tend to play unsociable football (think Hawthorn under Clarkson).

Teams with a dour, defensive battler for a coach tend to play that way (think West Coast under Malthouse).

The general mechanics of the gameplan might change from year to year, but the overarching personality trait of the collective reflects the coach. Richmond play like Hardwick. They do a lot of off-the-ball stuff that gets under their opponents’ skin. So do GWS. Not every coach concentrates on that stuff, but Hardwick and Cameron do.

There’s many ways to skin a cat.

So what personality does Nicks have?

This has solved a lot for me.
Pyke in coaches box, looking like a stunned mullet, not knowing wnat to do. Players on field looking bamboozled with the ball, with no idea what to do with it! The main reason I stopped watching for most of the post-bye period.

 

[skam85]

This is an interesting philosophical point. I have a theory that nations often take on the traits of their leaders in a similar way.

Compare the beige blandness of Australian society in the Howard-Rudd-Gillard-Morrison eras compared to the more swashbuckling irreverent Hawke era.

On Nicks though, it all seems a bit Sando to me.

Well let's hope we're one goal better in next year's prelim then