Will Mathew Nicks get fired before he coaches a win?

[douglyzia]

We're in a bad place at the moment. I'm not sold on Nicks, but in some strange way, I actually feel like his temperament suits where this team/group is at. Can't put my finger on it.

So, IOW, happy for Nicks to stay on while we sort out our other issues.

 

[MRB37]

Depends on what you measure him on. Pyke was brought in to win, Nicks has been given a much tougher job, he's been hired to help transform the shithouse culture of a club and see then through a list rebuild.

People will judge solely on wins and losses, but that won't be the final measure of him as a senior coach in the next 1-4 years. Even if he's not the coach of the Crows in 5 years time if, and it's a big if, but if he can transform the club, put it on the rails and get it moving in a positive direction, even if someone else takes over after and the positive work Nicks (and others) have put in allows the club to hit a period of success that ends with a premiership then he's time here would have been a success, even if his win/loss record was a failure.

 

[kulak]

Right on Lyons, Right on Gibbs, right on this.

Well that's my lucky hat trick done.

I think you should get extra credit for being right when everyone else is wrong. Multiple times.

 

[Murray2503]

Surprised you guys didnt go after Blake Caracella. Bloke was at Collingwood, Geelong and Richmond during premierships. Now his at Essendon and Rutten is taking over from Woosha.

Yeah mentioned him last year when looking for a coach. Not sure if he pulled out of the race. From memory he did. Yze was the one i would have targetted. Rutten would have been a good choice but he was commited to essendon. The real problem was the group that picked our coach are the same ppl that have destroyed our club. They also picked Pyke and are the real problem at the club. Riccuito, Fagan, Chapman in case your wondering who they are.

 

[kulak]

Like who?

How many changes can you make at one time?
He's showed he's not afraid to drop senior players.
You can't drop everyone at the same time. You need some onfield direction.

Lynch, Walker, Murphy, Laird, Sloane all criminally underperforming but you need to maintain some type of leadership otherwise you have GWS in their first year.
Getting thumped by 20 goals each game stifles development and doesn't help anyone.

GWS in season one went 2-20 with a percentage of 47.

Thank goodness we aren’t being flogged like they did. We are 0-5 with a percentage of 53.

 

[TRP1996]

I sincerely doubt we have the cash to sack him, pay him out and replace him.

Promote Ben Hart, Matty Wright, or Brent Reilly to senior coach without giving them a pay rise.

Problem solved.

 

[MRB37]

There's no obvious brand yet. What's the base that he's building this team on? The first building block to put in place?

Contested ball, grunt, clearances?

Possession game, running game, short kicking, long kicking...?

Structured defensively and difficult to score against? Or free wheeling high risk/high reward ball movement?

Nothing obvious leaps out as a trademark. Neil used to call it giving the fans a picture of how we want to play.

Whatever he's tried to implement so far has failed and you'd want to at least see some glimpses of structure/system very soon. Win or lose. We might fall in for a win against some other no hoper when it's getting serious for draft picks but if we play like today, who cares?

I would suggest our 3rd quarter performances over the past fortnight would be how he'd want us to perform. Why we seem to be restricting ourselves in the first half is a question, but it may be a bit of the "play conservative" thinking early until we have no choice but to attack going into the 2nd half since we've got nothing to lose by that point.

There's clear instructions to play the angles and use the corridor if it opens at times, but our skills are so shoddy and confidence gone i'm not sure if you could play that way for 4 quarters and not give up 150 points because we consistently turn it over. Poor skills, decision making and selfish play will render any game plan moot.

We've been down in so many areas it's like they've had to just concentrate on single areas in training and it's stopping the entire thing clicking. We spent a month just focusing on contested work because we've been so poor there, we get that evened up and then our skills have gone down another notch because of it.

 

[relapse]

Three years unconditionally?

Does he need to show any signs of being able to coach along the way?

So after being served up a s**t sandwich

No senior assistant
Garbage tier assistant coaches
A list comprising of burnt out senior players, underperforming middle tier players and under developed youngsters
A fractured club that has only just undertaken a huge review.

To me that's some massive obstacles that Nicks faces this year.

Keep in mind too that Clarkson was 1-6 after Round 7 in his first season, not that I'm comparing Nicks to him, but just making the point that we shouldn't be overreacting so soon.

Welcome to the world of rebuilding, this is what most of us have been asking for.

It's going to be tough and painful but it's going to take some time and think that it's ridiculous to be judging Nicks so early.

 

[douglyzia]

So it's only been 15 minutes since my last post (in the same thread), and I've actually come to the strange realization that I support Nicks. He may well be sacked before the next group of Crows players reach their prime, but for now, I actually feel comfortable with him at the helm.

Again, don't ask me to explain it, it's just a strange gut feeling I have.

 

[kulak]

So after being served up a sh*t sandwich

No senior assistant
Garbage tier assistant coaches
A list comprising of burnt out senior players, underperforming middle tier players and under developed youngsters
A fractured club that has only just undertaken a huge review.

To me that's some massive obstacles that Nicks faces this year.

Keep in mind too that Clarkson was 1-6 after Round 7 in his first season, not that I'm comparing Nicks to him, but just making the point that we shouldn't be overreacting so soon.

Welcome to the world of rebuilding, this is what most of us have been asking for.

It's going to be tough and painful but it's going to take some time and think that it's ridiculous to be judging Nicks so early.

In 2005 Clarkson’s Hawks were 1-6 with a percentage of 88

We are 0-5 with a percentage of 53

The problem isn’t that we are losing, it is that we aren’t competitive.

 

[Redline]

I wanted Yze. Had Clarko's intel. We need to get decent assistants end of year to help Nicks. I feel he will not be our coach in 2022 most likely.

No one decent wanted to come and we were so late to appoint Nick's that everyone was taken anyway.

Things have changed and jobs in the football industry have been halved so we might be able to get someone decent. The onus is on Nicks as well to make the Assistant role look attractive.

 

[Jcpdragonx]

When he said he "really liked" Brice Gibbs 7 disposal game in round one, he lost me.

You hear from blokes that played under Kennedy Snr about how much they wanted to play for him. Not this mob.

 

[Jcpdragonx]

Our coaching panel is, without hyperbole, the worst ever assembled at a professional AFL level

Needs to be given quality around him before we think about sacking him. Not ******* Ben Hart, Brent Reilly and Matthew Wright for fu**'s sake

Pretty much this. And we were diabolical in 2nd half of 2019, this is just a continuation but our senior players have regressed further, + the loss of Greenwood and Keith.

 

[relapse]

So it's only been 15 minutes since my last post (in the same thread), and I've actually come to the strange realization that I support Nicks. He may well be sacked before the next group of Crows players reach their prime, but for now, I actually feel comfortable with him at the helm.

Again, don't ask me to explain it, it's just a strange gut feeling I have.

I feel the same

I actually feel like he seems to be a really honest individual and a good communicator who seems to be all for getting experience into our younger players.

I think it's crazy to be making calls on him after a handful of games.

What is so typical of our supporter base is that last year the narrative was "I'm sick of this club chasing wins when we aren't good enough and not playing younger players".

Now that we're blooding younger players and investing time into them suddenly now people are upset because we're not winning.

 

[Southerntakeover]

Except no one is upset we're not winning.

And we're not really, in any meaningful way, blooding youngsters. This board consistently overstates the extent to which we've begun playing youngsters.

We're playing a very experienced core in our team, and that experienced core is showing no signs of a game plan, or being motivated. How else would one appraise a coaches performance?

Or is the contention that we simply shouldnt appraise a coaches performance for years now because we rebuild?

Do we just start assessing his performance once the rebuild is finished? How long do we need to give him then?

 

[Murray2503]

I feel the same

I actually feel like he seems to be a really honest individual and a good communicator who seems to be all for getting experience into our younger players.

I think it's crazy to be making calls on him after a handful of games.

What is so typical of our supporter base is that last year the narrative was "I'm sick of this club chasing wins when we aren't good enough and not playing younger players".

Now that we're blooding younger players and investing time into them suddenly now people are upset because we're not winning.

He seems distraught in his post match presser. Already seems broken. Not a good sign. I want to see more fight and spirit from him. Players likely do too.

 

[Southerntakeover]

He seems distraught in his post match presser. Already seems broken. Not a good sign. I want to see more fight and spirit from him. Players likely do too.

I would think having produced possibly the worst football team in the history of professional football would be distressing.

 

[Murray2503]

I would think having produced possibly the worst football team in the history of professional football would be distressing.

It's an opportunity. Attitude costs nothing. Needs to focus on the young kids now. They don't need a downbeat coach. They deserve more.

After watching the full presser i feel that he knows what needs to be done and may be still getting some resistance re selection from above. He needs to be firm and implement change asap. Time will tell if he can coach but he needs to be given a fair chance to try and succeed.

His immediate goal is to get the pride and spirit back into the team. Feel it must come from the youth and some of the older brigade will come along. Strange but the reality.

 

[jackster83]

Except no one is upset we're not winning.

And we're not really, in any meaningful way, blooding youngsters. This board consistently overstates the extent to which we've begun playing youngsters.

We're playing a very experienced core in our team, and that experienced core is showing no signs of a game plan, or being motivated. How else would one appraise a coaches performance?

Or is the contention that we simply shouldnt appraise a coaches performance for years now because we rebuild?

Do we just start assessing his performance once the rebuild is finished? How long do we need to give him then?

Pretty much. We're still only playing them in the Knight/Douglas/Mackay/Keath/Seedsman peripheral roles.

The ruck is the only major change we've made in the last 18 months and that only came about because of a medium term injury to Jacobs (last year).

 

[Brenton Davy]

In 2005 Clarkson’s Hawks were 1-6 with a percentage of 88

We are 0-5 with a percentage of 53

The problem isn’t that we are losing, it is that we aren’t competitive.

And with half decent hand and foot skills, we win that game today and this thread doesn’t exist.

Nicks has been dealt the biggest s**t sandwich. We have BY FAR the worst list and worst assistant coaching panel and board. This isn’t on Nicks, other than his insistence that he didn’t need a senior assistant. Given the opportunity again, I think he would give a different answer.

 

[Samcro24]

Promote Ben Hart, Matty Wright, or Brent Reilly to senior coach without giving them a pay rise.

Problem solved.

Exactly. We’re paying out a bunch of ex coaches, gone to the $2 bin for their replacements, and even had to let one go. Chuck in the pandemic.

They aren’t in a position to splash out on trivial stuff like coaches.

 

[AmericanCrow]

Young players are not nearly good enough and overvalued by way to many on this board.

This is a similar narrative to what I saw play out in the NFL since ‘99, with a team that shall go unnamed.

Getting high picks is going to mean absolutely zero if unable to properly evaluate talent.

As for this particular head coach...clueless and in over his head are two of my initial reactions.

Way to much standing around and half hearted jogging.

You do not need to be talented to put in honest effort. This club routinely puts in about 10-15 minutes of honest effort a game so far.

 

[marty36]

Young players are not nearly good enough and overvalued by way to many on this board.

This is a similar narrative to what I saw play out in the NFL since ‘99, with a team that shall go unnamed.

Getting high picks is going to mean absolutely zero if unable to properly evaluate talent.

As for this particular head coach...clueless and in over his head are two of my initial reactions.

Way to much standing around and half hearted jogging.

You do not need to be talented to put in honest effort. This club routinely puts in about 10-15 minutes of honest effort a game so far.

Seriously how can you say this board over rates our youngsters

Classic

On SM-G965F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Redline]

And with half decent hand and foot skills, we win that game today and this thread doesn’t exist.

Nicks has been dealt the biggest sh*t sandwich. We have BY FAR the worst list and worst assistant coaching panel and board. This isn’t on Nicks, other than his insistence that he didn’t need a senior assistant. Given the opportunity again, I think he would give a different answer.

It is to a degree, he admitted the focus on the last few weeks has been on effort and intensity. That's embarrassing for a brand new Coach. That time needs to be spent on game plan and skills.

 

[AmericanCrow]

Seriously how can you say this board over rates our youngsters

Classic

On SM-G965F using BigFooty.com mobile app

Last three seasons there was quite an abundance of calls for all the youngsters to play and that they were loaded with talent being held back by playing vets.

Turns out some of them can’t kick from 15 meters away.

Kinda speaks for itself