Where do we need to improve next year?

[Daniel6]

If we can acquire Zac Bailey

33

Zac Bailey

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.9

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

CL

0.9

3star

D

12.9

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

5.6

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.4

3star

CL

0.7

3star

D

13.4

4star

K

6.6

3star

HB

6.8

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

2.8

5star

CL

0.6

3star

, it will go along way towards helping us improve in both the midfield as well as the forward line. It will allow both Izac Rankine and Josh Rachele to spend far more time in the midfield and player in the forward line.

Most good sides have 8 to 10 quality players rotating in and out of a midfield during each game. I see Zac Bailey

33

Zac Bailey

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.9

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

CL

0.9

3star

D

12.9

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

5.6

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.4

3star

CL

0.7

3star

D

13.4

4star

K

6.6

3star

HB

6.8

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

2.8

5star

CL

0.6

3star

, Dan Curtin, Izac Rankine, Josh Rachele, Jordan Dawson

12

Jordan Dawson

Age

28

Ht

190cm

Wt

91kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.0

4star

K

11.4

4star

HB

5.7

4star

M

4.8

5star

T

2.8

4star

CL

0.6

3star

D

15.7

4star

K

10.9

4star

HB

4.9

3star

M

2.9

3star

T

2.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

D

11.8

3star

K

7.8

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

5.0

5star

T

3.0

5star

CL

0.6

3star

, Sid Draper, Billy Dowling, Josh Soligo and maybe James Peatling and Issac Cummings being those players. That allows experienced and development to take place. As we saw in the 2 finals, we are far from the finished product, hence why we need to prioritise the development of Draper, Edwards and Dowling.

 

[1990crow]

If we can acquire Zac Bailey, it will go along way towards helping us improve in both the midfield as well as the forward line. It will allow both Izac Rankine and Josh Rachele to spend far more time in the midfield and player in the forward line.

Most good sides have 8 to 10 quality players rotating in and out of a midfield during each game. I see Zac Bailey, Dan Curtin, Izac Rankine, Josh Rachele, Jordan Dawson, Sid Draper, Billy Dowling, Josh Soligo and maybe James Peatling and Issac Cummings being those players. That allows experienced and development to take place. As we saw in the 2 finals, we are far from the finished product, hence why we need to prioritise the development of Draper, Edwards and Dowling.

I agree he would help, but he's not a full time A grade midfielder. That's what we really need because it allows us to anchor Dawson and Rankine on the outside more.

 

[Daniel6]

I agree he would help, but he's not a full time A grade midfielder. That's what we really need because it allows us to anchor Dawson and Rankine on the outside more.

Zac Merrett isn’t moving to Adelaide and I doubt Christian Petracca would contemplate it ether. We have to develop our own as key midfielder don’t just fall off a tree.

 

[1990crow]

Zac Merrett isn’t moving to Adelaide and I doubt Christian Petracca would contemplate it ether. We have to develop our own as key midfielder don’t just fall off a tree.

That will be too late. Dawson only has 2-3 years left at his level.

 

[Daniel6]

That will be too late. Dawson only has 2-3 years left at his level.

So what do you suggest we do in 2026 to improve the midfield.

 

[1990crow]

So what do you suggest we do in 2026 to improve the midfield.

Get Oliver.

 

[Daniel6]

Get Oliver.

With it without his baggage and millions of dollars in contract.

 

[Moonwatcher]

The sad bit will be that we resign Nicks just before the first match.

Contract extension during a tense Ashes test this summer.

 

[imagifED]

1) Head coach
2) Midfield
3) Ruck
4) D50 to F50 ball movement
5) Speed across the ground

 

[WeeBlake]

Soligo’s best is A grade. Maybe not AA grade, but bloody good. His problem is he produces it rarely. If he gets to another level, where his current best is his baseline, we will be a genuine contender imo. He can do it imo. He’s still very young, same draft as Rachele.

He’s almost our most important player. If he delivers often, we can be really good.

And then there’s Curtin.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

One week at a time is one of the most overrated cliches in footy.

No successful team actually lives by that.

One mad Sunday at a time.

Coaches should have players thinking about the next game.

Coaches should be planning longer ahead, including how to best manage the squad. We are deficient here.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

That will be too late. Dawson only has 2-3 years left at his level.

Dawson is 28.

Has at least another 5 years left.

 

[Freomaniac]

We will never win a flag under Nicks, so clearly this is our biggest issue.

We need another decent experienced midfielder & develop all of Draper, Edwards & Curtin for more inside action... which is unlikely to happen under Nicks.

We need a new coach before he wastes this squad.

You are dreading the crows will have a similar fate just like Port had under Ken Hinkley from 2013 to 2025?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

You are dreading the crows will have a similar fate just like Port had under Ken Hinkley from 2013 to 2025?

Already know Nicks just isn't a very smart man & not up to being a head coach.

He's worse than Hinkley who can at least motivate his players on BS.

 

[Freomaniac]

Dawson is 28.

Has at least another 5 years left.

I say either 4 or 5 or 6. It depends on his body and how reliant the crows are on Dawson.

Crows might grab a gem or 2 in this draft.

Who knows, you might get a gun Mature aged 21 year old mid that becomes a solid 20 to 25 disposals a game.

Soligo was from the 2021 draft and he has 4 full years of development.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I say either 4 or 5 or 6. It depends on his body and how reliant the crows are on Dawson.

Crows might grab a gem or 2 in this draft.

Who knows, you might get a gun Mature aged 21 year old mid that becomes a solid 20 to 25 disposals a game.

Soligo was from the 2021 draft and he has 4 full years of development.

Dawson can play half back or up forward in his latter years.

 

[Soggy2112]

Surely we're looking for a VB replacement?

We need to

 

[adelaidecrows]

You are dreading the crows will have a similar fate just like Port had under Ken Hinkley from 2013 to 2025?

Yes.

The problem was Port became fearful Ken would go on to have success at another club and was openly using that rhetoric combined with who else would coach the club. Ultimately ignoring the evidence that Ken was an average coach with an average game plan with an over reliance on motivation. It is a reasonable conclusion a different coach with a better plan most likely would have won a premiership.

Nicks has exhibited a lot of flaws as a coach and the Crows have ignored that evidence and started using the same excuses as Port did with Hinkley to argue for an extension.

We are all for giving a coach a fair crack but what we ask is the coach is held accountable by the club and that their flaws are considered as part of the search to be elite. Reappointing coaches out of this fear of them being successful somewhere else is just utter bullshit and a recipe for disaster.

 

[Freomaniac]

Already know Nicks just isn't a very smart man & not up to being a head coach.

He's worse than Hinkley who can at least motivate his players on BS.

The crazy thing is you can look up the crows history from 1991 to 2025.

I will name 6 coaches.

• Graham Cornes
• Malcolm Blight
• Gary Ayres
• Neil Craig
• Brenton Sanderson
• Don Pyke

What do all of them have in common? All 6 of them at a bare minimum made a preliminary final at least once and got at least 1 finals win when they reached a preliminary final.

Scott Camporeale got the crows to finals in 2015 and a finals win as well but the circumstances were different. He got an Elim final win vs the dogs at the MCG then lost the semi final to eventual flag winners hawks.

My point is.... If Matthew Nicks won a semi final on the weekend vs the hawks and lost the prelim final vs the cats, how would you compare him to the other 6 blokes that made a prelim?

I never really rated Brenton Sanderson, I rated the rest of them.

 

[GreyCrow]

The crazy thing is you can look up the crows history from 1991 to 2025.

I will name 6 coaches.

• Graham Cornes
• Malcolm Blight
• Gary Ayres
• Neil Craig
• Brenton Sanderson
• Don Pyke

What do all of them have in common? All 6 of them at a bare minimum made a preliminary final at least once and got at least 1 finals win when they reached a preliminary final.

Scott Camporeale got the crows to finals in 2015 and a finals win as well but the circumstances were different. He got an Elim final win vs the dogs at the MCG then lost the semi final to eventual flag winners hawks.

My point is.... If Matthew Nicks won a semi final on the weekend vs the hawks and lost the prelim final vs the cats, how would you compare him to the other 6 blokes that made a prelim?

I never really rated Brenton Sanderson, I rated the rest of them.

There is some recency bias but his record apart from this year has been poor

We make a prelim? Ok we go again and hope 2026 brings more

But this board has strong long term PTSD over what might happen

 

[Freomaniac]

Dawson can play half back or up forward in his latter years.

I am sure he can play in a half back flank or half forward flank.

He is a very good and versatile player.

Any bloke that is semi decent with either foot will get taken early.

Any 180 to 185 cm tall utility player that can play on a wing or inside mid or half forward line or half back line like a Sinclair at Saint Kilda will always have a 12 or 13 or 14 year career and 200 to 250 games under the belt, even if they are b grade or C grade players that average 20 to 25 disposals a game

 

[Crow_68]

If we can acquire Zac Bailey, it will go along way towards helping us improve in both the midfield as well as the forward line. It will allow both Izac Rankine and Josh Rachele to spend far more time in the midfield and player in the forward line.

Most good sides have 8 to 10 quality players rotating in and out of a midfield during each game. I see Zac Bailey, Dan Curtin, Izac Rankine, Josh Rachele, Jordan Dawson, Sid Draper, Billy Dowling, Josh Soligo and maybe James Peatling and Issac Cummings being those players. That allows experienced and development to take place. As we saw in the 2 finals, we are far from the finished product, hence why we need to prioritise the development of Draper, Edwards and Dowling.

We could have prioritised the midfield development of Edwards and Dowling in the SANFL this year, but throwing a Hail Mary trying to turn Murphy into a mid was far more important. This ‘strategy’ does not get talked about (criticised) enough.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

The crazy thing is you can look up the crows history from 1991 to 2025.

I will name 6 coaches.

• Graham Cornes
• Malcolm Blight
• Gary Ayres
• Neil Craig
• Brenton Sanderson
• Don Pyke

What do all of them have in common? All 6 of them at a bare minimum made a preliminary final at least once and got at least 1 finals win when they reached a preliminary final.

Scott Camporeale got the crows to finals in 2015 and a finals win as well but the circumstances were different. He got an Elim final win vs the dogs at the MCG then lost the semi final to eventual flag winners hawks.

My point is.... If Matthew Nicks won a semi final on the weekend vs the hawks and lost the prelim final vs the cats, how would you compare him to the other 6 blokes that made a prelim?

I never really rated Brenton Sanderson, I rated the rest of them.

This was our worst finals series in the history of the Crows & only time we have lost all quarters & conceded the 1st goal of every quarter.

After being one of the most attacking teams all year, we went full defensive mode with strategy & selection... just like we did last season when we went to complete shit.

Tells you everything you need to know that Nicks has nfi. He will never get out of primary school level coaching as he is just not very smart. You can't grow into a job if you are naturally stupid.

 

[Not Darryl Moss]

IDK: Pre-season how about Foggy as an inside/outside mid - sort of a Cam Rainer-type? Not consistent enough as a key forward IMO. Stewie Dew II anyone? Try Keane as a big fwd where his deficiencies might not matter so much - Darryl Moss II anyone? Bring back Butts. Max as a gun running back along with Worrel if he can be taught to run and do more than hoof it high outside 50?

 

[Freomaniac]

Yes.

The problem was Port became fearful Ken would go on to have success at another club and was openly using that rhetoric combined with who else would coach the club. Ultimately ignoring the evidence that Ken was an average coach with an average game plan with an over reliance on motivation. It is a reasonable conclusion a different coach with a better plan most likely would have won a premiership.

Nicks has exhibited a lot of flaws as a coach and the Crows have ignored that evidence and started using the same excuses as Port did with Hinkley to argue for an extension.

We are all for giving a coach a fair crack but what we ask is the coach is held accountable by the club and that their flaws are considered as part of the search to be elite. Reappointing coaches out of this fear of them being successful somewhere else is just utter bullshit and a recipe for disaster.

Your opinion of Ken Hinkley as coach is different to mine.

You think he is an average coach. I actually think he is a good or very good coach. I know it's a totally off topic thing to talk about....

I think the Port Adelaide board priority was survival and stability over (premiership) success.

Nicks is out of contract next season.

My prediction is crows get 5th or 6th, home Elim final win and semi final exit. That would be a 2 or 3 year extension.