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

[George Kramer]

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?

We beat Brisbane at home last year……

Did you pick up any issues with selection, sub use, game plan over the last 2 weeks or is it just kumbaya with you?

 

[George Kramer]

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.

Such deep analysis John. The teams we’ve played the last 2 weeks were also missing a bunch of players.

How many injuries did we have during our 0-4 start?

And Nicks hasn’t improved the herd…

 

[jackster83]

Such deep analysis John. The teams we’ve played the last 2 weeks were also missing a bunch of players.

How many injuries did we have during our 0-4 start?

And Nicks hasn’t improved the herd…

You know if we turn the ladder upside down, suddenly we're top six.

Wow, Nicks must be doing a great job. Contract extensions all round.

 

[Jarman3]

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.

We have to improve. Based on where we finished last year, improvement basically means playing finals. We've got 3 wins from 10 games so far. Say you need 13 wins to play finals, let's be generous and say 12 wins plus the draw we had against Brisbane (a fixture we actually won last year). We've got 13 games left... we need to win 9 out of 13. after going 3-1-6, it's hard to imagine that suddenly turning around into 9-4 for the remainder of the year.

I still believe Nicks was the right coach for where the club was when he was appointed at the end of 2019. But that doesn't mean he's the right coach for where we are in 2024.

 

[BigBoSS_Riot]

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.

Brisbane and Collingwood have twice as many first team players out injured compared to us. Trying to use that as a crutch is embarrassing.

 

[1970crow]

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?

I think you’re going a bit early on where Pies and Lions are at. But we’re performing about where we have this year. Going ok, just not quite good enough.

And again, Nivks is an ok coach that can get a decent list to finals. He just doesn’t have the intelligence and edge that it takes to win a flag.

 

[1970crow]

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

He doesn’t have the foggiest idea what shape is.

 

[Slippery Pete]

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.

Correct. Seed was planted in Blight’s head some time that season (didn’t say exactly when).

Explanation here.

 

[Slippery Pete]

You know if we turn the ladder upside down, suddenly we're top six.

Wow, Nicks must be doing a great job. Contract extensions all round.

Which board member is Who?

 

[skam85]

Do you understand the concept of "Shape" ?

Do you understand "Australian Rules Football" ?

 

[Samcro24]

Which board member is Who?

What

 

[Slippery Pete]

Do you understand the concept of "Shape" ?

We talking hip-to-waist ratio? Yeah I understand it. What do you want to know?

 

[skam85]

Do you even read what other people post? Lots of posters had us missing the 8, 1/4 in the predictions thread for a start.

View attachment 1993429

Plenty of cartel potential in there

 

[Gtowncrow]

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.

I'm not sure about this John. Teaching and coaching have unique skills from each other. They're often not the same person.
For example...
Imagine a school teacher who is an expert in their field. They transfer their knowledge to the students. They provide technical instruction. They provide the knowledge gathered empirically over time. They teach a skill and reinforce this through teaching strategies until the taught skill is consolidated and finally established as something new the student can use in the future.

A coach however, is someone who can improve the student by building belief. A coach uses coaching strategies to develop the student to be the best they can. A coach will install confidence, belief, faith, trust, commitment, dedication, sacrifice and desire. But the highest mountain a coach can climb is to establish eternal HOPE into the student. These characteristics take a talented student from being good at school into a high achieving human. Mum and Dad are usually our first coaches. But they only occasionally sit down to help with the fractions homework...

Fagan is a true coach. His team believe in him. Peak Hardwick was a great coach. I loved Neil Craig but he never became a full coach. Great teacher no doubt but different from those who've managed to extract (entice) maximum from his team of players.

A good coach is the person who will sit with you in your locker room and put and arm over your shoulder and explain how you can do it better next time. And the student will believe him.

 

[GreyCrow]

Which board member is Who?

Reads like he is Nicks secretary typing up his End Of Season Report to the Board

 

[1970crow]

Who were the five people to pick us top two?

And why?

From memory a lot was made about our performances against the top 4. 2 close losses to Pies, a win and close away loss against Lions. Wins against Port plus a close loss against Demons away.

 

[NSolis]

Wading into a minefield here, but isn't 'shape' about positioning off the ball? As in having a clear structure where there are players in the right positions to provide defensive coverage, outlet options when we get the ball, that sort of thing? That's what I always assumed it meant anyway.

 

[Slippery Pete]

Wading into a minefield here, but isn't 'shape' about positioning off the ball? As in having a clear structure where there are players in the right positions to provide defensive coverage, outlet options when we get the ball, that sort of thing? That's what I always assumed it meant anyway.

Whatever it is, they don’t have it

 

[Scorpus]

Wading into a minefield here, but isn't 'shape' about positioning off the ball? As in having a clear structure where there are players in the right positions to provide defensive coverage, outlet options when we get the ball, that sort of thing? That's what I always assumed it meant anyway.

Apparently that's not what it means

Every player in the AFL is expected to understand the gameplan, understand the structure, read the play and position themselves around the ground/contest to affect the contest or game either offensively or defensively depending on their role.

I'm glad I wrote your "NO" in indelible ink

 

[weneverland]

Brisbane and Collingwood have twice as many first team players out injured compared to us. Trying to use that as a crutch is embarrassing.

Could it be that Brisbane and Collingwood have much better lists than we do and even missing those players they can field a better quality team? With the opportunities we've squandered I don't think our list is as good as some believe. I think Nicks has done a great job in making us competitive with the cards he has been dealt. Is he the right person to take us to the next level? I don't know.

 

[George Kramer]

Do you understand "Australian Rules Football" ?

Yes, it’s a fantasy league

 

[George Kramer]

Wading into a minefield here, but isn't 'shape' about positioning off the ball? As in having a clear structure where there are players in the right positions to provide defensive coverage, outlet options when we get the ball, that sort of thing? That's what I always assumed it meant anyway.

Nah, I’m going with this until Wayne explains it to us

 

[jackster83]

Nah, I’m going with this until Wayne explains it to us

View attachment 1994824

I'm waiting for Nicks to spill these everywhere in the coaches box.

 

[George Kramer]

I'm waiting for Nicks to spill these everywhere in the coaches box.

Can you imagine Ned fumbling these?

 

[Pugsley]

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.