Opinion Matthew Nicks: Adelaide's Coach (Part 2) - Full Support of the Board

[Kane McGoodwin]

Exactly ....Coaches do scenario's as part of team selection

If player "A" is tagged ....how do we respond
If player "B" is injured, and we have to invoke the sub ....how do we alter structures ....given an injury is rarely like for like
Are we playing stoppage game, transition game .....and how the oppo try to counter our gameplan ....what options have we prepared

The question is, can players adapt & implement changing roles in-game .....and the criticism's of the Coach are normally around timing of changing a failed scenario ....too soon, too late

Whether you're a fan of pre-game scenarios or coaches making in-game "shoot from the hip" moves .....criticism of Coaches has always been around timing of changes

You can't be watching us if you honestly think our coaching group are great at adjusting to different scenarios.

Unfortunately our coaching panel lack strategic IQ.

 

[Soggy2112]

You can't be watching us if you honestly think our coaching group are great at adjusting to different scenarios.

Unfortunately our coaching panel lack strategic IQ.

I don’t know about Wayne, but I literally said that I don’t think we do it well.

 

[Sanders]

Wow. You got noted clown shows like WW and bicks to agree. I might be tempted to leave it there, but you’ve gone into so much disingenuous waffle and length to hide a lack of point I’m not going to

Credit to you, you are very good at creating straw man argument.

No. You don’t get such obvious school boy tactics. There’s no strawman, that’s embarrassing

However, firstly, you’re the one trying to make yourself sound smart by arguing he’s played forward, but never as a centre half forward.

If you don’t understand the difference between playing CHF and just rolling forward, then you are definitely being serious

You realise that most teams generally don’t use the terminology of half forward flank, centre half forward, full forward etc to describe their positions?

Really? You’re just going to make up straight up fictions WW style are you?

Wow.

It’s something we say to understand the game but I really doubt that at any point the phrase: move Dawson to CHF was said. What was actually different about the way Dawson played yesterday to when he has previously spent periods in the forward line?

You’re flailing now, try to defend a stupid point you never should have made.

What’s different? Follow the words, like a bouncing ball - he played centre half forward.

Oh and even the commentators noted multiple times this unusual move. But sure, we should run with someone so dubious he’s resorted to pretending the position doesn’t exist?

Secondly, I never argued that position changes do not happen. Go back and read what I said, original post said that Nicks was trying to create a coaching matrix, implying that it was a bad thing. I said that that is kind of what successful modern coaches do, they have their plan A, then they go in with a bunch of different pre planned positional or tactical moves they will make to address certain issues. I say that because I’ve heard in interviews and read articles where coaches make that exact point. I used the phrase “pulling levers” because that’s the exact terminology that Buckley used on On the Couch once.

Meaningless waffle

Again, my whole point was that any coach trying to create a system of pre planned moves that they can go to at given moments is not a bad thing. Good game day coaching is about knowing when to go to those options. As an example, Keays went to Pendlebury for periods, do you think that was something Nicks dreamt up on the spot, or is having Keays do a tagging role something they have planned and trained for? Clearly, it’d be the latter.

My whole point, which I’ve repeated multiple times, and you keep choosing not to listen to, is that modern day coaches are not coming up with brand new ideas in the middle of games on a regular basis like they used to.

Collingwood on Saturday were a prime example, when they were up they were playing a certain way. Then when we went ahead you could very clearly see them flick a switch tactically. They’re obviously trained that when in situation x they play a certain way and players might go to different positions.

This tactic of trying to hide a lack of substance between a wall of hot air just doesn’t cut it. It’s so… unsubtle

The fact is, you could blather on about shape and other meaningless platitudes about the modern game all you like, in an attempt to sound knowledge adjacent, but at some point you can’t escape the simple realities that at some point a player needs to be in and win a contest.

And no matter how many times you want to spam words like “coaching matrix” to shift focus away from your thin argument, teams have always and will always try things to wrongfoot the opposition. Including in-game.

Like moving Dawson to CHF yesterday.

That a certain type of person eats up these cliches is why under fire coaches keep spitting them out at press conferences. They know they can fool some people all of the time

 

[Sanders]

Exactly ....Coaches do scenario's as part of team selection

If player "A" is tagged ....how do we respond
If player "B" is injured, and we have to invoke the sub ....how do we alter structures ....given an injury is rarely like for like
Are we playing stoppage game, transition game .....and how the oppo try to counter our gameplan ....what options have we prepared

The question is, can players adapt & implement changing roles in-game .....and the criticism's of the Coach are normally around timing of changing a failed scenario ....too soon, too late

Whether you're a fan of pre-game scenarios or coaches making in-game "shoot from the hip" moves .....criticism of Coaches has always been around timing of changes

Soggy2112 if that’s not a warning sign, I don’t know what is

 

[George Kramer]

Exactly ....Coaches do scenario's as part of team selection

If player "A" is tagged ....how do we respond
If player "B" is injured, and we have to invoke the sub ....how do we alter structures ....given an injury is rarely like for like
Are we playing stoppage game, transition game .....and how the oppo try to counter our gameplan ....what options have we prepared

The question is, can players adapt & implement changing roles in-game .....and the criticism's of the Coach are normally around timing of changing a failed scenario ....too soon, too late

Whether you're a fan of pre-game scenarios or coaches making in-game "shoot from the hip" moves .....criticism of Coaches has always been around timing of changes

Hang on, you’ve mocked posters for not getting shape according your understanding but you won’t actually say what your understanding is, of all the pissweak posts you’ve come up with, this takes the cake

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Hang on, you’ve mocked posters for not getting shape according your understanding but you won’t actually say what your understanding is, of all the pissweak posts you’ve come up with, this takes the cake

You do realise you are being played...

 

[George Kramer]

You do realise you are being played...

nah, Wayne’s not clever enough for that and given he was having a go at other posters reckon you’re wrong

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

nah, Wayne’s not clever enough for that

He loves posting to create a stir.

We have learnt this week he doesn't even watch our games....

 

[George Kramer]

He loves posting to create a stir.

We have learnt this week he doesn't even watch our games....

So he’s a troll

 

[Soggy2112]

Really? You’re just going to make up straight up fictions WW style are you?

It’s not fiction. When do you hear coaches say, player x is playing centre half forward these days?

From speaking to people involved in multiple SANFL clubs, they don’t call those positions by their traditional names. Probably fair to assume that the AFL isn’t doing it either.

What’s different? Follow the words, like a bouncing ball - he played centre half forward.

Okay, but what did he actually do differently to previous forward stints? From my observation every time he’s gone forward they’ve used him as a marking target and emphasised getting him delivering inside 50 which is traditionally what a CHF does.

And no matter how many times you want to spam words like “coaching matrix” to shift focus away from your thin argument, teams have always and will always try things to wrongfoot the opposition. Including in-game.

I’m only saying that because that’s the exact phrase the original post used.

The fact is, you could blather on about shape and other meaningless platitudes about the modern game all you like, in an attempt to sound knowledge adjacent, but at some point you can’t escape the simple realities that at some point a player needs to be in and win a contest.

When did I say that wasn’t the case?

That a certain type of person eats up these cliches is why under fire coaches keep spitting them out at press conferences. They know they can fool some people all of the time

Seriously, do I have to say it again?

I would sack Nicks.

I don’t think he’s an effective game day coach.

I agree with 90% of what you say about Nicks.

My whole point is that I don’t think coaches are coming up with brand new tactics or positional moves in the box on game day. Everything they go to is a move that they’ve already thought about, planned for and trained, it’s just about when and why they go for it that matters. Coaching is largely about systems now.

I don’t think Nicks has adequately prepared us tactically, and I don’t think he reads the game well enough. As an example, as soon as we hit the front we went back to kicking long down the line, Collingwood ate it up. Either it was a direct instruction from the box, or that’s what the plan for protecting a lead is.

 

[rocket18]

I just had a look and the only unforced change Nicks made between this latest game vs Collingwood and the first match against Collingwood in 2023...

...is swapping Schoenberg for McHenry as the sub

All the other changes were forced due to injury or list management decisions

Most of these forced changes would have been reversed if the relevant players were available

Thilthorpe -> Himmelberg
Milera -> Nankervis
Doedee -> Hamill
Pedlar -> Cook
Sloane -> Crouch
Murray -> Keane

I would guess that his preferred best 22 has changed by maybe 1 or 2 players. No wonder the results are so similar

As 1970 has said for years, Nicks selects his best 25 in the preseason.

The only way into the side for the rest of the squad outside this 25 is via injuries.

Form plays no part in selection, mind boggling for a team that has been rebuilding for his entire tenure.

 

[Brett Cummings]

As 1970 has said for years, Nicks selects his best 25 in the preseason.

The only way into the side for the rest of the squad outside this 25 is via injuries.

Form plays no part in selection, mind boggling for a team that has been rebuilding for his entire tenure.

Must be one of his values. Not rewarding good form lol.

 

[Sanders]

Hang on, you’ve mocked posters for not getting shape according your understanding but you won’t actually say what your understanding is, of all the pissweak posts you’ve come up with, this takes the cake

It’s not really any worse than the others, a collection of buzz words he overheard and misunderstood

 

[Sanders]

It’s not fiction. When do you hear coaches say, player x is playing centre half forward these days?

From speaking to people involved in multiple SANFL clubs, they don’t call those positions by their traditional names. Probably fair to assume that the AFL isn’t doing it either.



Okay, but what did he actually do differently to previous forward stints? From my observation every time he’s gone forward they’ve used him as a marking target and emphasised getting him delivering inside 50 which is traditionally what a CHF does.



I’m only saying that because that’s the exact phrase the original post used.



When did I say that wasn’t the case?



Seriously, do I have to say it again?

I would sack Nicks.

I don’t think he’s an effective game day coach.

I agree with 90% of what you say about Nicks.

My whole point is that I don’t think coaches are coming up with brand new tactics or positional moves in the box on game day. Everything they go to is a move that they’ve already thought about, planned for and trained, it’s just about when and why they go for it that matters. Coaching is largely about systems now.

I don’t think Nicks has adequately prepared us tactically, and I don’t think he reads the game well enough. As an example, as soon as we hit the front we went back to kicking long down the line, Collingwood ate it up. Either it was a direct instruction from the box, or that’s what the plan for protecting a lead is.

OK. I’m not going round in circles, I stand by previous statements

I came into the conversation about Shane Ellen and the wrongheaded idea that could never happen today.

He wasn’t an instantaneous game day inspiration. He was a decision made early in the week, and he trained with the forwards in the sessions leading up to the game.

 

[adelaidecrows]

OK. I’m not going round in circles, I stand by previous statements

I came into the conversation about Shane Ellen and the wrongheaded idea that could never happen today.

He wasn’t an instantaneous game day inspiration. He was a decision made early in the week, and he trained with the forwards in the sessions leading up to the game.

Unlike Nicks, Blight had an extraordinary ability to not only find talent but back it in. Until he over thought it but we had 2 premierships by that point.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Unlike Nicks, Blight had an extraordinary ability to not only find talent but back it in. Until he over thought it but we had 2 premierships by that point.

He was also not afraid of making changes, particularly when things were not working.

 

[marty36]

Unlike Nicks, Blight had an extraordinary ability to not only find talent but back it in. Until he over thought it but we had 2 premierships by that point.

Tell me our current squad equivalent to or place a current squad name next to everyone of them

Jars
Rehn
Ricciutto
McLeod
Hart
Smart
Edwards
Bickley
Modra
Goodwin
Johnson
Bassett

Maybe this is the reason blight had it easier

Come on let’s compare apples with apples there is simply no comparison to 300 game players a Brownlow medalist, 100 goal FF or arguably one of the top 10 AFL players of all time in jars or Macca


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[CrowToon]

OK. I’m not going round in circles, I stand by previous statements

I came into the conversation about Shane Ellen and the wrongheaded idea that could never happen today.

He wasn’t an instantaneous game day inspiration. He was a decision made early in the week, and he trained with the forwards in the sessions leading up to the game.

Ready whenever

 

[Scorpus]

Nicks has taken us to 16th so far on the expected scores ladder

 

[SugarShane]

Nicks continues to select the same players and then acts bewildered when we get the same results. He's done.

Just casually sums up the entire thread in one line.

 

[George Kramer]

Nicks has taken us to 16th so far on the expected scores ladder

But in expected shape we are no 1

 

[GreyCrow]

When Hawthorn visited I could see a shape

It was a diamond and it was such an effective use of the ground coverage

The point of the diamond is in the goal square and it moves towards each boundary until moving back in to the other goal square and a few in the centre square

Such an effective zone that players were only 10 metres from any contest

 

[John Who]

We’ve just played 2 of last year’s Grand Finalists. With a tie at home and a 4-point loss away, is that a sign we’re playing the right brand of footy now? Bearing in mind also that the Lions and Pies are both in fair dinkum form, and looking similar to their 2023 version now.

Nicks gets no credit?

 

[Soggy2112]

We’ve just played 2 of last year’s Grand Finalists. With a tie at home and a 4-point loss away, is that a sign we’re playing the right brand of footy now? Bearing in mind also that the Lions and Pies are both in fair dinkum form, and looking similar to their 2023 version now.

Nicks gets no credit?

He got a two year contract extension off of nearly identical performances last year, I’d say he has gotten a fair bit of credit.

 

[John Who]

He got a two year contract extension off of nearly identical performances last year, I’d say he has gotten a fair bit of credit.

I liken a coach to that of a teacher. A coach isn’t about guaranteeing success, you need the students to follow suit. Like a teacher, he needs to help improving the herd, so ultimately they can graduate.

Have we gone backwards in 2024? Results now say “yes”. However, we need to look at projecting by the end of the season to properly assess, as form and injuries to players also have a say in results.