Opinion Matthew Nicks: Adelaide's Coach (Part 3)

[WaynesWorld19]

Adding further weight to my comments over the last 2 years .....even Clarko the Super Coach admitting how tough it is to get a side off the bottom of the ladder .....we started below them on the ladder in 2020

Meanwhile, North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson has once again defended the Kangaroos' slow rebuild.

The Roos have managed just four wins in their third season under the four-time premiership coach, and have lost their past six games.

"It's a tough grind," Clarkson said. "We're making progress but we'd like the progress to be more in terms of wins but we're not quite there at the moment.

"But the mood and morale is good within the four walls of the footy club, but it just becomes the hysteria of expectation outside.

"It's a tough caper, but we've known all along to take sides from the bottom of the ladder to the top is really, really hard work but there just seems to be a lot of people who think they can do it better and they've never even tried it."

Listen from the 17 min mark:

 

[GreyCrow]

I do like how many have come back to this board once we start winning

A lesser person would call them bandwagoners

 

[Truck25]

I do like how many have come back to this board once we start winning

A lesser person would call them bandwagoners

Or maybe we were here all along but were sick of being shouted down as apologists and sheep when we put forward a bit of patience and faith in the process.

 

[George CantStandYa]

LOL that you think Davis turned the club around over one PS .....this development is a whole of Club effort ....recruiting, Burgess's impact, and maturing of players that are still in their early 20's

The foresight to trade-up in the National Draft to secure Curtin ..... securing Thilthorpe .....teaching Worrell to be a professional athlete (by his own admission) .......going and getting Mark Keane

We are being praised for playing a tough brand of Final Footy .....this was evident as soon as Nicks became Coach, and formed the basis of our Drafting Strategy

It gobsmacks me that people think this was a short-term asst coaching appointment who is a non-decision maker on the above

But then, you only have to read comments over the last 12 months to understand, most cannot see the big picture development going on

Clearly our rebuild has been achieved by whole of club, it’s funny though one one hand you list all other factors for our improvement and yet pat Nicks on the back for our improvement as some sort of gotcha moment “see I was right”.

What this fails to address is our coach over his previous 5 years consistently made rookie errors, stuffed up our gameplan by going rogue bonkers and so much so we had to send him to school, bring in an experienced assistant from a successful club and make him coaching director.

This year we’ve seen less errors, better selections, a gameplan that hasn’t destroyed our attack whilst improving defence, positional changes, bold moves such as Curtin to the middle in the last qtr in a must win game.

None of this Nicks could achieve, because whilst he may have had the vision, he had no idea how to achieve it. You can’t deny that. Results speak for themselves.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Or maybe we were here all along but were sick of being shouted down as apologists and sheep when we put forward a bit of patience and faith in the process.

When you show yourself incapable of providing any criticism, yeah you’re a bandwagon apologist when you return.

 

[Geoffa32]

Confidence.

Not just in himself, but in DC's ability.

 

[Bovo]

I do like how many have come back to this board once we start winning

A lesser person would call them bandwagoners

Yeah but it really doesn’t matter though. I don’t think I have ever said Nicks can’t coach. In fact I don’t recall a sober moment when I’ve said a single negative thing about him, except being frustrated that Curtin wasn’t getting games last year. Mind you this “sober” thing doesn’t happen very often so who really knows. I was, and I still tout that an expectation that you can win any game will leave you heartbroken. I don’t expect to win any game (and I haven’t for years) and the last few years I have enjoyed footy again. Each to their own though.

 

[cleanhands]

Yes Nicks has got better with someone holding his hand

 

[George CantStandYa]

Yeah but it really doesn’t matter though. I don’t think I have ever said Nicks can’t coach. In fact I don’t recall a sober moment when I’ve said a single negative thing about him, except being frustrated that Curtin wasn’t getting games last year. Mind you this “sober” thing doesn’t happen very often so who really knows. I was, and I still tout that an expectation that you can win any game will leave you heartbroken. I don’t expect to win any game (and I haven’t for years) and the last few years I have enjoyed footy again. Each to their own though.

And you’re proud to never have criticised Nicks about his coaching? Even when it was warranted?

 

[George CantStandYa]

Yes Nicks has got better with someone holding his hand

Clear as day

 

[Cyclonus]

I also think Nicks has gone through a similar transformation that Buckley did the offseason before 2018. Stop trying to control everything, trust the players more, have some fun. He sort of mentioned it in the interview after the Hawks game. It led Bucks to a GF. Let's go one better.

 

[Bovo]

And you’re proud to never have criticised Nicks about his coaching? Even when it was warranted?

Proud? Im not sure it’s a matter of being proud or not. What difference does it make if I praise or criticize him? Absolutely nothing. It doesn’t make me feel better doing either also. But I’m like this with many things in life. I used to get so caught up in so many things outside of my control. I remember many many years ago when my kids were younger and the Crows had a stinker and it would make me irritable for the rest of the day. My children had to put up with a father whose moods depended on a bunch of blokes kicking a ball. It took me way too long to realise that wasn’t okay. I even gave up going to or watching footy for two years. So now I’m accepting of anything that’s outside my control. I have no expectations and can just enjoy the wins and shrug off the losses.

 

[adelaidecrows]

I also think Nicks has gone through a similar transformation that Buckley did the offseason before 2018. Stop trying to control everything, trust the players more, have some fun. He sort of mentioned it in the interview after the Hawks game. It led Bucks to a GF. Let's go one better.

He deserves credit. Finals is generally a target most coaches can achieve with the right squad. Its what you do in finals that counts though. Hinkley without doubt was one of the best regular season coaches going around but his finals record stunk. So the real questions to be answered is just how does our game plan hold up under finals pressure. But im thoroughly enjoying this season.

 

[Amacca 23]

I also think Nicks has gone through a similar transformation that Buckley did the offseason before 2018. Stop trying to control everything, trust the players more, have some fun. He sort of mentioned it in the interview after the Hawks game. It led Bucks to a GF. Let's go one better.

Hardwick and clarkson were the same until.they got the right people around them , if you remember there was talk of hardwick getting sacked ,but they got the right people and the rest is history

 

[adelaidecrows]

Proud? Im not sure it’s a matter of being proud or not. What difference does it make if I praise or criticize him? Absolutely nothing. It doesn’t make me feel better doing either also. But I’m like this with many things in life. I used to get so caught up in so many things outside of my control. I remember many many years ago when my kids were younger and the Crows had a stinker and it would make me irritable for the rest of the day. My children had to put up with a father whose moods depended on a bunch of blokes kicking a ball. It took me way too long to realise that wasn’t okay. I even gave up going to or watching footy for two years. So now I’m accepting of anything that’s outside my control. I have no expectations and can just enjoy the wins and shrug off the losses.

I was guilty of it when I was younger. In my 20s I recall being in foul moods at parties after a losing game. Wasnt until I reached my 30s and 40s that my life doesnt revolve around the result and i dont even think about the result once the game is over.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Hardwick and clarkson were the same until.they got the right people around them , if you remember there was talk of hardwick getting sacked ,but they got the right people and the rest is history

hardwick had better results from the get go and so did Clarkson. It probably did help them having some of the best players the game has seen at their disposal. So I do get your point.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Proud? Im not sure it’s a matter of being proud or not. What difference does it make if I praise or criticize him? Absolutely nothing. It doesn’t make me feel better doing either also. But I’m like this with many things in life. I used to get so caught up in so many things outside of my control. I remember many many years ago when my kids were younger and the Crows had a stinker and it would make me irritable for the rest of the day. My children had to put up with a father whose moods depended on a bunch of blokes kicking a ball. It took me way too long to realise that wasn’t okay. I even gave up going to or watching footy for two years. So now I’m accepting of anything that’s outside my control. I have no expectations and can just enjoy the wins and shrug off the losses.

That’s fair enough and you’re within your rights to do so, as long as you’re not one of these posters who won’t criticise but yet criticise posters who are willing to share their opinions on the clubs negatives

 

[Bovo]

That’s fair enough and you’re within your rights to do so, as long as you’re not one of these posters who won’t criticise but yet criticise posters who are willing to share their opinions on the clubs negatives

I’m slowly learning not to be that too. It’s funny how cult like we become in wanting everyone to think the same way as we do. I’m definitely guilty of pointing the finger, but likewise; what you or other posters think are outside my control and everyone has a right to an opinion. So why should I get upset over it? I personally do feel you go on about the Nicks and Davis thing a little too much, but it’s all fair play.

 

[George CantStandYa]

I’m slowly learning not to be that too. It’s funny how cult like we become in wanting everyone to think the same way as we do. I’m definitely guilty of pointing the finger, but likewise; what you or other posters think are outside my control and everyone has a right to an opinion. So why should I get upset over it? I personally do feel you go on about the Nicks and Davis thing a little too much, but it’s all fair play.

I go on about it because it’s the state of play. Posters who stand around saying “see I was right about Nicks, you guys are not as deep a thinker as me” or “Nicks has always been a good coach, look at our results” need to be picked up.

Clearly those statements aren’t correct. Sure he gets credit for getting the team up and culture, but he was clearly lacking in making sound decisions and tactics. It’s why we brought in Davis. Our coaching is chalk and cheese this year and it’s not because Nicks went to Harvard.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

I also think Nicks has gone through a similar transformation that Buckley did the offseason before 2018. Stop trying to control everything, trust the players more, have some fun. He sort of mentioned it in the interview after the Hawks game. It led Bucks to a GF. Let's go one better.

I think you're off-point with this opinion ....No-one has raised Nicks not having fun ....in fact the reason the relationship between Nicks and the group is so tight, is because he's not over bearing

I remember a game incident in 2023 IIRC ....close game, and we had just kicked a goal to make the game a cliff-hanger ...one of the assistant Coaches reached for the phone to issue instructions .....Nicks, held him off, saying "let them work it out"

That's not the actions of a Coach who wants total control .....I think the Davis appointment was more about Nicks workload, a common issue with AFL Coaches ....same thing occurred with Bomber Thompson, a review was held, his off-field workload was eased to be able to coach more .....GEEL won the Flag the next year

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Clearly those statements aren’t correct. Sure he gets credit for getting the team up and culture, but he was clearly lacking in making sound decisions and tactics. It’s why we brought in Davis. Our coaching is chalk and cheese this year and it’s not because Nicks went to Harvard.

You go on believing this ....because you're the only one in the industry saying it ....no-one is talking Davis impact, outside those in denial

 

[Bovo]

I go on about it because it’s the state of play. Posters who stand around saying “see I was right about Nicks, you guys are not as deep a thinker as me” or “Nicks has always been a good coach, look at our results” need to be picked up.

Clearly those statements aren’t correct. Sure he gets credit for getting the team up and culture, but he was clearly lacking in making sound decisions and tactics. It’s why we brought in Davis. Our coaching is chalk and cheese this year and it’s not because Nicks went to Harvard.

So my thoughts on this. In his first year we came last and with the departure of so much talent in 2018 and 2019, I don’t think anyone could save us. Last year when they recruited Davis, didn’t the club say they did it because they felt that he didn’t have the support he needed. So maybe you are right. Maybe he can’t do it on his own. Maybe he needs a Davis to help him. But maybe the same could be said about Davis and he might struggle doing it on his own also. Perhaps this is the partnership that is required because it’s too much for one person? I actually honestly don’t know. The only coach I really disliked was Garry Ayres. He was an angry and bitter coach. But that type of coach died in the last century thankfully.

 

[feenix67]

You go on believing this ....because you're the only one in the industry saying it ....no-one is talking Davis impact, outside those in denial

Patently false, there's been many mentioning Murray in dispatches. Including players.

And there's nothing wrong with that - he was hired to have an influence. The fact he is doing what he was hired to do does not detract from Nicks at all.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Patently false, there's been many mentioning Murray in dispatches. Including players.

And there's nothing wrong with that - he was hired to have an influence. The fact he is doing what he was hired to do does not detract from Nicks at all.

Name them

 

[feenix67]

Name them

Josh Worrell for starters.

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-fiveaa-sports/interview-josh-worrell-02-7MDynhUXKL-/?srsltid=AfmBOoojsmKHpqinPP5MY2LYmGMwWqWVLsNeA3jcZkXEHDuxxze3_Rsq

5AA second of June

Excerpt of the transcript:

00:06:26
Speaker 1: H Murray Davis has brought to IP a lot of footy scribes and we've got one Campo looks at your ball movement, how you structure up, and even the fact now that Renkin and Jordan Dawson swap out of the box very similar to what they do with a couple of their players in McCluggage and Bailey. What's he going to bring this week for the Ford scouting and how good's he been for the group? Murray Davis.
00:06:51
Speaker 2: Mars gave us obviously the best britty in the three seasons, so yeah, gave us a great insight to how they play and what he brings. I mean, he just brought a whole level of almost calmness to the group. He speaks to you on an individual level while taking a bit of control upstairs in the box obviously, So I think all the boys are really enjoying what he's bringing and kind of adds a different string to our bow that we probably haven't had in the past.

Is it so important to you that this year is entirely on Nicks? Does your self validation rely on it? Surely someone with your "high level of professional management experience" would realise that it's impossible for one person to be all things as a leader (and poor leadership for that person to think they know everything).

Your ego is getting in the way of your persona there wayne