- Nov 5, 2009
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Preseason ends this Sunday IMO. Monday morning team goes into their weekly game prep / schedule.
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Training 2025 Pre-Season
- Thread starter Thrillthorpe7
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Preseason ends this Sunday IMO. Monday morning team goes into their weekly game prep / schedule.
Nicks making a few 'tweaks' to the game plan for round 1 ?
I think of the pre-season as the lead up games / trials to the season proper.
The next game on the calendar is a real one.
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- Oct 2, 2022
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We're in the second tier, I think - somewhere between 7th and 12th.
It's too hard to predict beyond that
- Nov 5, 2009
- 12,917
- 13,974
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- Adelaide
We have an easy start to the season. Momentum and early wins can really build belief and a run at the top 4.
As a club we have finished 3-1 or 4-0 10 times in our clubs history. Out of those 10 times we only missed the finals once (1996).
I am confident we will finish top 6 this year. It just feels like a 1997, 2005, 2012, 2015 type of year.
Having said that - the last time I predicted a big rebound was when Nicks took over in 2000, so take it with a pinch of salt
You only get the "new coach" rebound for like a month, and you have to sack the coach during the season
- Nov 5, 2009
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- 13,974
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- Adelaide
Sando disagrees
we are coming good this year. we were good in 2023 (losing a handful of very tight games under a goal vs top 4 teams) and also having the hardest, or near to, fixture in each of the last 2 years) and since then we have maturation of squad AND Peatling, Cumming, ANB, Curtin and Draper. Plus off field support - Murray Davis, Balme etc and an EASY fixture
14 wins+ and top 6 IMO
Special circumstances though. He was basically able to walk in and go... "Here's a new tactic boys, how about you try harder?"
And everyone went... "Whoa. Let's do that".
Lasted most of a year.
- Nov 5, 2009
- 12,917
- 13,974
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- Adelaide
The new coach effect is very real - particularly at Adelaide.
1996 - we lost the last 5 games of the year and finished 12th with 8 wins. New Coach in 97 - FLAG
2004 - We finish 12th with 8 wins. New Coach in 2005 - Prelim.
2011 - We finish 14th with 7 wins. New Coach in 2012 - Prelim
2014 - We finish 10th with 11 wins. New Coach in 2015 - We finish 7th and a win a final.
And who knows what we'd have done in 2015 if what happened, didnt happen.....
- Aug 30, 2021
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- 43,290
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Is he head coach worthy though? 2025 will make or break Nicks.
Based on available evidence, probably not.
And yep, its his final chance to get us where we need to be.
Gtowncrow
Premiership Player
- Jul 6, 2021
- 3,407
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You sound sad my friend. Are you okay? It's justifiable given our football journey in recent years. Nicks has not yet produced what we had hoped. Perhaps he won't. Perhaps he can't.
I personally see him as a success in regard to the cultural bin fire he started with. Our player retention and 'apparent' good comradery, along with successful recruiting and trades have been a genuinely excellent aspect of what he's helped with. Right guy at the right time.
But that journey is now finished. There's new goals which simply must be achieved now. Adelaide must contend for the flag from now on. Making finals is surely a losers target. We need to instill into the team that they can be premiers this year. That they are capable of winning the premiership from right now. That every training session is in preparation for GF day. That every moment of every game counts towards a premiership. That every game starts like it's the last Saturday in September. And that every close game is played like it's grand final day. Our belief and our ruthless pursuit of domination is all that stands between the 15th ranked 2024 iteration and a season this year of club folklore.
Is Nicks this guy?
I've said often here that he's probably not. There seemingly are better options. But for this year, it's who we have and as such, it's Australian culture to find a way with what we've got. Like using an old bit of wire to bind together the gadget so that you can make it sort of work again...for now. But we find a way. Always, we find a way.
Now, on the cusp of a new season, I can reflect on a near perfect summer. In fact, has the club ever had a better off season? We've won our only matches in practice. Our recruits all add to our 25 team. Our youngsters have further developed and our veterans are holding up. Whether they make it to season's end, I don't know. But our replacements for them are capable and possibly even better. Time will tell and in spite of my views on Nicks, he has made career choices for players previously and will again. But he'll be too slow and conservative for most of us here on BF. Crouch got relegated for a long time. Good job by him to get back in favour. Smith appears gone. Laird 'demoted' to half back. None of these guys would have liked these decisions but they still happened. I can see a world this year where any of Crouch, Walker or Laird get dropped if they deserve it. We have replacements and to return to the top of this post, our ruthless pursuit of domination, if a genuine goal, makes some of these impossible decisions highly possible, even probable.
But is Nicks this guy?
If we only achieve 9 wins this year, like you, I'll be sad too. As will many South Australians. And Nicks will be gone for sure.
But optimistically, I'm hoping this might be our Damien Hardwick year. He was gone with Richmond fans but the club held on. Maybe us this year?
But is Nicks this guy? Or is he now the wrong guy at the wrong time?
Cheers mate. Keep your chin up.
GreyCrow
Make me an Admin!
- Mar 21, 2016
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- Aug 21, 2008
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I think similar but gee whiz we would have been close to a flag in 2016.
Slime Roy
Nuclear Goop
- Mar 13, 2024
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I've done the Nicks redemption arc before ... not going to even start down that path until I see some real proof of change happening on the field.
I'm not holding my breath.
I love my footy, I'm not sad ... just waaaaay more pessimistic about our overall chances under the current regime than I was a few years back. Our list is looking much much better and I'm looking foward to seeing how we play as a group. Just don't expect it to turn into ladder related success.
With a good injury run, we'd have to be worse than last year to only win 9 games.
I just don't see that happening.
I'll wait and see how we're travelling by round 6 before making any prediction about maybe playing finals.
Been burnt by pre-season hype too many times.
On SM-A256E using BigFooty.com mobile app
Been burnt by pre-season hype too many times.
On SM-A256E using BigFooty.com mobile app
Keep the dreams alive
FR0GGY
Busy
Did we win those 9 after the bye?
