Opinion Matthew Nicks: Adelaide's Coach

Is Matthew Nicks the right coach for Adelaide's rebuild?

  • Firmly yes (I love what I'm seeing)

  • Leaning yes

  • Can't decide either way

  • Leaning no (but don't sack him yet)

  • Firmly no (he should be sacked)


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rocket18

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Selection of Frampton isn't baffling really. We've decided not to play RT yet, and I suspect we want to keep out of the ruck as much as we can early doors..... And Himmelberg has been trash thus far.

And what's so bad about playing all the over 23s ?? Kelly probably on the edge, the aforementioned Frampton as well but the rest have deserved their spots. We can't just play 18 kids every week, it'll turn into a disaster quickly enough.

As for the senior players not buying in last year, that's somewhat fair but it's also a lot to do with the fact they knew they were gonna have to earn their stripes unlike previous seasons. The fact they all seem to have done so this season is a credit to Nicks and the new group IMO

That is the baffling part - playing Billy over RT, we are getting nothing (or less than nothing) out of Billy.

Nothing at all wrong with playing every one over 23, its just an observation that Nicks is playing so many youngsters. He has no choice, he is playing the maximum amount of senior players he can
 
May 17, 2009
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That is the baffling part - playing Billy over RT, we are getting nothing (or less than nothing) out of Billy.

Nothing at all wrong with playing every one over 23, its just an observation that Nicks is playing so many youngsters. He has no choice, he is playing the maximum amount of senior players he can
Issue will be backup ruck, which is an area I don't think they want Thilthorpe exposed to yet, especially at AFL level. So Frampton becomes a necessary evil (and why I don't think he'll be dropped against Freo who play 2 genuine rucks).
 
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I don't particularly like Nicks at all. I do think he's a good placeholder though and the right guy to teach our young group how to play accountable footy. A more talented coach will eventually replace him and reap some of the rewards of his hard work.
 
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WRT Frampton, I'm not unhappy he's played 4 consecutive games. We bang on about in/out selections, so I'm happy he's been given the block as an opportunity to demonstrate his ability, or lack thereof.

Beyond that though, if he keeps getting games it's an issue. A decoy won't be effective for long if opponents know he can't take a mark or kick goals.
 

hey shorty

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I don't particularly like Nicks at all. I do think he's a good placeholder though and the right guy to teach our young group how to play accountable footy. A more talented coach will eventually replace him and reap some of the rewards of his hard work.
What do you base that on ??

The improvement in our side over the summer has been stark.
 
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Issue will be backup ruck, which is an area I don't think they want Thilthorpe exposed to yet, especially at AFL level. So Frampton becomes a necessary evil (and why I don't think he'll be dropped against Freo who play 2 genuine rucks).
And both Darcy and Meek are going well working in tandem.
 

ABAB

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I don't particularly like Nicks at all. I do think he's a good placeholder though and the right guy to teach our young group how to play accountable footy. A more talented coach will eventually replace him and reap some of the rewards of his hard work.
What? Nicks has shown he has the ability or isn't too proud to listen to his assistance coaches to change game style during games and the playing group adapting to the change, this is the first sign of a very good coach.
 

ABAB

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how do you know he’s listening to assistant coaches, and that others weren’t?
Hence why I said "or". Pyke didn't listen to Teague when he suggested a change at half time during the Grand Final, that's why we have always said Pyke didn't have a plan B....KFC. Longmire is listening to Pyke and that's why he is benefiting from Sydney's success this season.
 
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What do you base that on ??

The improvement in our side over the summer has been stark.
Oh we're improving no doubt. He will get us to a point where we are a competent footy side (maybe already has) and that's a pretty big achievement considering the shitshow he was lumped with. I don't see us winning a flag with Nicks though, not unless we overhaul our recruitment and unearth some serious midfield & KPF stock.
 
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That is the baffling part - playing Billy over RT, we are getting nothing (or less than nothing) out of Billy.

Nothing at all wrong with playing every one over 23, its just an observation that Nicks is playing so many youngsters. He has no choice, he is playing the maximum amount of senior players he can

This is the concern. Playing a clearly under duress Lynch is a massive worry. Do we have a coach that can win a flag or do we have one that can bring us off the bottom to perpetually compete for a spot in the lower 8. He's definitely the latter, it's unlikely he's the former given his proclivity to play experience. Don't forget that he selected Mackay last year ahead of debuting Sholl. Talia with a torn meniscus or Hartigan ahead of Butts/McAsey. Mackay and Gibbs ahead of a recovered Hamill. Gut feel is his ceiling is lower than flag coach.
 

Thetrader15

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WRT Frampton, I'm not unhappy he's played 4 consecutive games. We bang on about in/out selections, so I'm happy he's been given the block as an opportunity to demonstrate his ability, or lack thereof.

Beyond that though, if he keeps getting games it's an issue. A decoy won't be effective for long if opponents know he can't take a mark or kick goals.
I agree and was thinking the same. If RT played 4 games and didn't do much, would people be calling for him to be dropped as well?
 

Thetrader15

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how do you know he’s listening to assistant coaches, and that others weren’t?
The significant change in midfield set up this year around stoppages suggests to me that Nicks is listening to exactly what the midfield coach is saying. The fact that the SANFL team is losing clearances while winning hitouts suggests that strategy has moved from the AFL to SANFL team.
 

UcantCme

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This is the concern. Playing a clearly under duress Lynch is a massive worry. Do we have a coach that can win a flag or do we have one that can bring us off the bottom to perpetually compete for a spot in the lower 8. He's definitely the latter, it's unlikely he's the former given his proclivity to play experience. Don't forget that he selected Mackay last year ahead of debuting Sholl. Talia with a torn meniscus or Hartigan ahead of Butts/McAsey. Mackay and Gibbs ahead of a recovered Hamill. Gut feel is his ceiling is lower than flag coach.
My gutt feel is the opposite

He has not only evolving and building the team he has rebuilt the club and reset the culture

Im not the biggest fan of players like DMac or Lynch at this stage of his career however this theory of just going all in with the kids is fundamentally flawed

The most successful rebuilds have had the right amount of experienced players playing with the young kids and the facts are that despite being the youngest list in the AFL we are 3-1 to start the season

Too many rebuilds and young players careers have been destroyed by going all in...... its a balance to get that right, their are times that we debate that balance but for me the kids are still getting the opportunity when their ready

Winning flags is extremely tough however 3-1 in year 2, with the youngest list and playing a game style that is aggressive suggest to me at this stage I'm backing him in to give us our next shot at success


On SM-G973F using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

rocket18

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I agree and was thinking the same. If RT played 4 games and didn't do much, would people be calling for him to be dropped as well?

Yep, having youngsters come in for a block of games is the right way to do it.

I said before the GC game RT should have come in for the next four (and tell him he has a min of 4 games) whilst:
  • our team had confidence
  • Tex was on fire
  • grounds are still dry and fast
  • RT hasn't got any niggles
  • the four games were against teams around our level (GC, Norf, Freo & Hawks)
  • coaches were still working on how to clog the game back up.
It was the perfect opportunity to give RT a taste, if he wasn't looking like it after those four weeks swap him with Berg or Billy. If he's giving us something he stays in till he needs a rest, but to play Billy in the last two weeks has been such a waste - but so typical of the AFC.
 

rocket18

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My gutt feel is the opposite

He has not only evolving and building the team he has rebuilt the club and reset the culture

Im not the biggest fan of players like DMac or Lynch at this stage of his career however this theory of just going all in with the kids is fundamentally flawed

The most successful rebuilds have had the right amount of experienced players playing with the young kids and the facts are that despite being the youngest list in the AFL we are 3-1 to start the season

Too many rebuilds and young players careers have been destroyed by going all in...... its a balance to get that right, their are times that we debate that balance but for me the kids are still getting the opportunity when their ready

Winning flags is extremely tough however 3-1 in year 2, with the youngest list and playing a game style that is aggressive suggest to me at this stage I'm backing him in to give us our next shot at success


On SM-G973F using BigFooty.com mobile app

I don't think one poster has ever suggested we go "all in" on kids, of course you need experienced players around them.

The point is getting the right experienced players around them and not just selecting a senior player solely for their age when they can't contribute anything on field.
 
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May 29, 2011
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I don't think one poster has ever suggested we go "all in" on kids, of course you need experienced players around them.

The point is getting the right experienced players around them and not just selecting a senior player solely for their age when the can't contribute anything on field.
This is it. I'm not averse to picking older guys but they need to deliver right now and they shouldn't be given time to find form. It's not fair that younger players are held accountable for bad games but older guys can coast along on their reputation. To use Mackay as an example, I'm not convinced his performances would be any better than a younger guy so he's done afaic.
 
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Darcy was fantastic against the Hawks on the weekend. Contributed in both the ruck and up forward when he was there. ROB will need to be playing more like he was in the 2nd half to give us a shot.
Having seen quite a bit of Sean Darcy as a junior I always thought he was going to be a player, my old mate Sanders could vouch for that ;) one of the few junior rucks that I've seen that is ambidextrous with his tapwork and high quality with both hands. Lloyd Meek I saw even more of being a local Ballarat Rebel lad and always thought he was a chance to make it, good foot skills for a big lad and his ruckwork was always good, in fact I was keen for us to rookie him the year prior and also the next year when Freo finally pulled the trigger.

You always knew they'd both thrive inn elite system with AFL standard fitness crews and in big Sean's case good dieticians.
 
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Forming staunch opinions of coaches with so little experience is ridiculous.

We have such little knowledge to go by and there are a thousand variables at play.

In any case, if you had to judge nicks so far, I don't know how you couldn't form at least a positive view.

Has there been improvement from the team he inherited (and the issues we had)? Yes and probably more than most expected.

Has this improvement been player or game plan related? Both. Imo the most positive sign is the game plan and midfield resurgence. This started to take shape at the end of last year and has carried forward into this season. We've got a fairly work man like midfield but have been performing well at stoppages and on transition which is in stark contrast to most of last year where we looked like headless chooks. Our defence has also held up pretty well despite having such little experience. We've also stuck to an attacking style for each game and during each quarter. Players are constantly looking to play on and hit up players in more dangerous positions. This has been consistent and imo shows a clear understanding between coaches and players.

I think we're still likely to struggle against the better sides, but we've come a long way since when he first started. Will it continue? Who knows. Who would have thought Dimma would win 3 flags?
 
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