AFL 2024: Adelaide Crows coach Matthew Nicks signs two-year contract extension

Despite the disappointing start to the season, Adelaide has reinforced its belief in Matthew Nicks, with the Crows coach signing a fresh contract extension.

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks will remain in charge at West Lakes until at least the end of 2026 after signing a new deal on Thursday.

As flagged by this masthead in August, Nicks has put pen to paper on a fresh two-year contract extension, with the club backing the 48-year-old to see out the rebuild he started at the end of 2019, despite poor round 1 showing.

“The way in which Nicksy has led our club through some challenging times early in his tenure and our subsequent climb up the ladder, albeit acknowledging we have much more to do and achieve, should not be underestimated,” Crows chief executive Tim Silvers said.

“We have seen the on-field improvement and he has developed a game-plan we firmly believe will stand up to the pressures of finals footy.

“Senior coaching is also a multi-faceted job and he ticks all the boxes of fostering a positive, healthy environment for our players, coaches and staff, and he has an engaging and authentic approach to communicating with all club stakeholders.

“History says successful clubs need stability and alignment and while there will always be challenges from week-to-week, we want to be a club that consistently plays finals.”

Matthew Nicks has signed a two-year contract extension. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos

Adelaide kicked off its 2024 campaign with a disappointing loss to Gold Coast in round 1, with Nicks’ side failing to fire a shot in the opening three quarters.

“We always believe. We had our chances but the first half we just didn’t look like scoring, which was disappointing,” Nicks said post-match

“Makes it hard when you put a goal on the board at half time.”

After signing the fresh deal, the Crows coach on Thursday acknowledged the challenges that lie ahead for the developing group.

“As a team we’ve done an incredible amount of work to this point and I really want to see this through and deliver the success that all Crows fans deserve,” Nicks said.

“We have assembled a talented and experienced team of coaches and high performance staff, many of whom have been on this journey together for several years.

“Like every year, this season will present its challenges but we are resilient and we want to keep improving.”