Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks reacts to breach of isolation rules by players caught training in quarantine
First-year Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has been left shattered by his players breaking isolation rules by training together, with a hefty penalty due to be handed down in coming days.
Crows
Don't miss out on the headlines from Crows. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says he is “gutted” his players broke isolation and AFL rules to train together but hopes they will not be individually “smashed’ when the AFL hands down its penalty.
The league is expected to slap the Crows with a hefty penalty following an investigation into a group of players training together in the Barossa Valley on Thursday.
That penalty was expected to be handed down on Saturday, but could now be delayed.
Sixteen Crows players who had returned to South Australia from interstate were staying at the Novotel Barossa Valley to serve a mandatory 14-day quarantine period under state rules.
State and AFL rules allow players to only train together in pairs, not larger groups.
“I was gutted, to be honest,” Nicks said when asked about the protocols being breached.
“Unfortunately in a two-hour training session we’ve had a five or 10 minute period where we’ve made a mistake and some of that comes back to communication. That’s where I’ve put my hand on my heart and I take responsibility. I’ve let our boys down but I feel for such a young group of boys in this situation.”
Nicks said eight players had completed drills together as part of the training session when they should have been working in pairs.
Adelaide assistant coach Ben Hart, who is also staying in the hotel to serve his quarantine period, was not present on the golf course during the training session.
“Most of those players were younger first and second year players so we’re talking 19-year-olds. Even some of our older leaders were 23 years old,” Nicks said on Fox Footy Live.
“We don’t actually have a coach at these sessions. We can’t have a coach because the players are in twos. That note goes out with ‘We want you to work on these areas’.
“Unfortunately what’s happened in this instance is four of our pairs have gotten in close proximity and began kicking balls around with each other. It’s an innocent mistake. It’s one that we know we’ve done wrong.”
MORE AFL NEWS:
SACKED: Brendon Goddard reveals how he was sacked by the Bombers, maintains Essendon-34’s innocence
AFL greatest team of the decade: You decide the best team since 2010
AFL players could be back training next week as government announces plan to ease restrictions
Nicks said the Crows self-reported the incident to the AFL’s integrity department and took “full responsibility” for the indiscretion.
The Crows coach said he hoped any AFL penalty would come down on the club rather than individual players.
“I’d be devastated to know that any of our players were smashed with this,” Nicks said.
“I totally understand though, if you talk current environment, why some people believe the punishment should be strong. But I think if you get an understanding of exactly how this played out, hopefully our guys will come through the other end of it.”
The Crows have advised players still in quarantine to now only train on their own and the club is hopeful its mistake will not affect football’s return in South Australia.
“You can only apologise to the community and to the rest of the league and to the AFL, because the AFL have been incredible in preparing us to try and come back and play footy,” Nicks said.
“We feel terrible for the timing of this.”
Originally published as Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks reacts to breach of isolation rules by players caught training in quarantine