Former Adelaide skipper Nathan van Berlo to return to West Lakes as midfield coach
Adelaide continues to acquire greater support for senior coach Matthew Nicks, and will soon add another-high profile assistant – who is also a former Crow – to its football department.
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A former Adelaide captain will become the second part of the Crows’ coaching-box reshuffle.
Nathan van Berlo will join Matthew Nicks’ coaching panel and take charge of the midfield following the departure of Michael Godden earlier this week.
Van Berlo is the current midfield coach for West Coast and will see out the season with the Eagles before returning to Adelaide.
He captained the Crows for four seasons from 2011-2014 before retiring at the end of 2016 following 205 AFL games for the club.
Van Berlo is in business with Crows football director Mark Ricciuto, with the two along with former Adelaide and Melbourne player Bernie Vince rebuilding the Hackney Hotel in Adelaide.
His appointment won’t be confirmed until the Eagles’ season ends.
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BURNS JOINS NICKS AT WEST LAKES
Adelaide has announced the first piece of Matthew Nicks’ new coaching line-up, with one of the men he beat to the senior coach position now his assistant.
The Crows have announced that Scott Burns will join the club for the 2021 as a senior assistant coach.
As the first wave of player delistings was also revealed by the club – with Riley Knight, Patrick Wilson and Ayce Taylor told they would not be receiving new deals – the Crows announced the first part of their plan to give Nicks more support in the coaching box.
Burns has spent the last three years at Hawthorn as an assistant under Alastair Clarkson and did apply for the Crows’ senior coaching position last year when Don Pyke resigned, losing out to Nicks.
But now Burns will be Nicks’ right-hand man, after the rookie senior coach decided not to go with a senior assistant following Scott Camporeale’s dismissal last year.
Burns will also mentor Adelaide’s defenders, after defensive line coach Martin Mattner lost his job as a result of COVID-19 cuts earlier this year and Brent Reilly was demoted in the Crows coaching reshuffle announced on Tuesday – which also involved midfield coach Mick Godden and forwards coach Ben Hart departing the club.
Crows head of football Adam Kelly said Burns, who has also coached at West Coast and Collingwood after a playing career that started at Norwood, was highly regarded by everyone he has worked with in the industry.
“We are excited by what he will bring to our coaching group, having gleaned knowledge and experience from some of the best coaches of the modern era,” Kelly said.
“He knows what it takes to be part of a successful football program and we can’t wait for him to start.”
Burns said he was excited at the prospect of working with Adelaide’s emerging players.
“When I reflect on my coaching career so far, the most enjoyable and rewarding times have been working with a developing playing list, with young players supported by strong on-field leaders,” Burns said.
“The Crows have talked about transitioning their list and we saw positive signs in the last few weeks of the season.
“I feel as though my skills and experience can help Nicksy and the other coaches, as well as the playing group, going forward.”
Richmond’s Neil Balme is being pursued by the Crows for a mentoring role to Nicks and Kelly while former GWS assistant Lenny Hayes, who worked with Nicks at the Giants, will not be coaching next year.
The club started player exit interviews on Wednesday, with Knight, Wilson and Taylor all informed they no longer had a future at the club.
Knight played 55 games, including the Grand Final, Wilson just the two despite consistently strong SANFL form and Taylor none after joining as a pre-season supplemental selection earlier this year.
Crows list manager Justin Reid said more calls would be made by the club.
“This is a really tough time of year and we are confronted with many difficult decisions in regards to the direction we take our playing list,” Reid said.
CLEAN-OUT: CROWS CULL ASSISTANT COACHES
– Reece Homfray
Adelaide has wasted no time acting on its dismal season by removing all three of Matthew Nicks’ assistant coaches.
Forwards coach Ben Hart is returning to Melbourne due to family reasons, midfield boss Michael Godden has not been offered a new deal and defensive coach Brent Reilly has been told he will be moved into a new role.
There is growing speculation the Crows are targeting Hawthorn assistant Scott Burns, who was in the race to become Adelaide’s senior coach when Nicks was appointed last year, while the Crows are also pursuing Richmond senior advisor Neil Balme as part of a football department restructure.
Balme – who coached Norwood to two premierships in 11 seasons in the 1980s – is seen as a key target in helping to support first-year football manager Adam Kelly, Nicks and leadership manager and former Tiger Dan Jackson.
“The AFL is a demanding industry and this time of year is always tough, and even more so this year,” Adelaide football manager Adam Kelly said.
“Ben (Hart) has been dealing with the challenge of living apart from his family, which has been made especially difficult given the impact of COVID-19.
“With this in mind, he will seek opportunities in Victoria going forward.
“Both Ben and Mick are quality people who are passionate about their coaching and helping others fulfil their potential.
“They have positively contributed to the personal and professional development of our players, the coaching group and overall club environment in what has been a tough year.
“We wish them and their families the very best and thank them for their service.”
Changes to Adelaide’s coaching box and football department have been mooted for over a month after chief executive Andrew Fagan vowed to bolster support around first-year coach Nicks who led the Crows to a 3-14 season.
Adelaide had already let go assistant coach Martin Mattner and development coach Paul Thomas shortly after COVID-19 hit in March.
Senior assistant coach Scott Camporeale was also sacked last year following an external review in the wake of Don Pyke’s departure.
Godden, speaking on SEN on Tuesday, said it was unfortunate that his time at the Crows “hasn’t worked out”.
“We were aware of the situation we were in but until the reality set in I didn’t think it was going to be true,” he said.
“We were having midfield reviews which converted into the meeting we had, we understood there would be some pressure and had a conversation with the club a month ago to say no one was guaranteed a position.
“It was just the finality of it today seemed to hit pretty quickly.
“Nicksy is of great character, I know it hurt him as well but he has to do what he believes is right for the Adelaide Footy Club, they’ve made that call and that’s fine, you go into these jobs with your eyes wide open.
“It’s not nice, but you understand the situation they are in.”
Godden said he wanted to remain involved in footy, most likely at state league level.
“I love footy, it’s what I do and what I know and I feel I’m pretty good at it, so I just want to stay in football,” he said.
“I understand that it won’t be at AFL level and my roots are embedded at SANFL level so I’m not sure (what opportunities exist).”
Adelaide is pushing ahead with plans to strengthen its coaches’ box, footy department and squad for next year despite savage cuts to the soft cap and an anticipated reduction to list sizes.
Nicks initially told Adelaide when he was appointed that he did not feel he needed a senior assistant per se and was willing to work with the current set up, but the club has since conceded he needs more back-up.
There is also uncertainty surrounding the future of several players including veterans David Mackay and Kyle Hartigan who appear likely to have to wait until the trade period for a new contract, and star free agent midfielder Brad Crouch who is weighing up offers from rival clubs next week.
After starting the season 0-13, Adelaide made dramatic improvement in the past month starting with an encouraging performance against Geelong then wins over Hawthorn, GWS and Carlton.
“We’ll look to develop from within as we’ve talked right throughout the year and we’ve seen some real progress in that space,” Nicks said of his coaching box last Friday.
“But there will be a balance with not ignoring a lot of the talent that’s not sure where it sits in the industry, because there are a lot of cutbacks across the board.
“We’re all about getting better and improving and we’ll do whatever we need to get that done.
“We had a plan in place prior to me taking the job, stick to it, trust yourselves, each other, we’ve done a lot of work on prioritising team as a group and our players at the moment live that day in, day out.
“We’re taking the group in the right direction so the biggest learning for me is continue to trust, get the right people in and around you and we’ve got that at this footy club.”
According to Champion Data from Rounds 1-12 Adelaide was ranked 18th, 18th, 18th and 17th in the competition for contested possession differential, clearance differential, points from stoppage and pressure. From Rounds 13-17 it is ranked third, sixth, fourth and second in those same KPI’s.
Ruckman Reilly O’Brien admitted the late-season revival had given the Crows some belief going forward.
“Probably before the last couple of weeks you would have definitely questioned a few things about the list and the football department, but being able to get a few wins in a row and being able to show that we can play good consistent football has definitely helped in that space,” he said.
COACHES’ BOX
– Reece Homfray
Midfield coach Michael Godden, forwards coach Ben Hart and defensive coach Brent Reilly – who took over from Martin Mattner when he left the club in April – expect to learn of their fate by the end of the month.
“I’ve really enjoyed it (assistant coaching) it’s a lot more work than being a normal development coach but I really enjoy working with the group and the challenge,” Reilly said on SEN on Friday.
“Nicksy has been great to me, giving me the confidence to do that role so I’m looking forward to what that looks like in the future if it is the same role or not.
“Hopefully we can know in the next week or week after, sooner rather than later, then we can plan what’s going on in the future but I can’t really do much about it, the club is going to support us as much as possible during that time and whatever happens, happens.”
The midfield’s resurgence in particular under Godden has made rival clubs take note.
“Adelaide’s performances over the last few weeks have been exceptional and we won’t be underestimating them. Their stoppage stuff has gone to another level,” Richmond assistant Adam Kingsley said this week.
Former St Kilda great Lenny Hayes, who worked with Nicks at GWS, announced last week that he would be leaving the Giants this season.
But Hayes will not be a part of Adelaide’s coaching structure with his manager confirming he had no intention of coaching anywhere next season and would be “moving in a different direction”.
The Crows’ links to Balme have accelerated since inaugural coach and Advertiser columnist Graham Cornes last month said the club should chase him “relentlessly”.
At the time Cornes claimed to have spoken to Balme who said “I’ve always loved Adelaide” and did not rule out a return to SA.
Balme, 68, is a two-time premiership player at Richmond who in addition to his premiership success at Norwood, coached Melbourne and had key off-field roles at Geelong and Collingwood during their premiership runs before returning to Tigerland in 2016.
“The work we’ve done this year, there’s no doubt as a new coach coming in it takes some time to work with your coaching group,” Nicks said of his coaches’ box this season.
“I think we’ve done that really well this year … and (now) it’s a balance of weighing up what is out there and how much more growth do we think we’ve got from within.
“It’s been a really positive way to finish the season … we feel it’s been a lot more positive than the last three games.”
THE CROUCH CONUNDRUM
Saturday’s game against Richmond may well be Brad Crouch’s 95th and last for the Crows and next week will be key with the midfielder set to weigh up offers from rival clubs.
The Crows’ winning run, and Crouch’s role in those games, has raised questions as to the extent Adelaide should go to keep their reigning club champion who is after a lucrative, long-term deal.
Since returning to the Crows’ side against Hawthorn in Round 15, Crouch has averaged 25 disposals and 9.6 contested possessions as the Adelaide midfield got going.
But the Crows are also weighing up whether to let the prolific ball-gathering midfielder leave as a free agent, should it hand them an extra first round draft pick in compensation.
They are already staring at Pick 1 should they finish the season on the bottom of the ladder.
“It’s not as simple as us making a call on Brad, the same way as it’s not as simple as Brad making a call on us,” Nicks said on Friday.
“I would love to know all this as soon as possible but that’s not the case, we understand that’s free agency and it will work itself out.
“It’s a balance of what’s best for the organisation and for Brad.
“We’ve been really open with our chats through that and I’m really comfortable Brad knows where I sit as far as where we’d like to head but there are so many doors that need to slide open and close for us to get to a result.”
Crouch himself doesn’t know what his future holds, but says it has dawned on him that the Richmond game could be his last in Crows colours.
“I’m speaking to my management and the footy club and (Crows list manager) Justin Reid I think it’s going to take a few weeks,” he told Channel 9 this week.
“I truly don’t know what is going to happen.”
Crouch’s impending departure would open the door for the club to recruit extra midfielders in the trade period.
The Crows are believed to be interested in out-of-contract GWS pair Jackson Hately and Jye Caldwell, while Richmond premiership player Jack Graham and talented Gold Coast Sun Will Brodie are on the radar.
THE VETS
Speculation over some of Adelaide’s older players intensified following the retirement of Bryce Gibbs with a year to run on his contract but he is not expected to be followed out the door by their other experienced campaigners.
Taylor Walker admitted he was unsure of his future on the eve of his 200th game last month but has been assured by the club he is a required player next year and has told teammates and coaches he fully intends on seeing out his contract in 2021.
Captain Rory Sloane, 30, is contracted through to 2023 with no plans of leaving and Tom Lynch, 30, has another year on his deal and is seen as a vital leader at West Lakes.
But there is uncertainty over Mackay, 32, and Hartigan, 28, who are both out of contract this year.
While Adelaide has told some players privately to prepare for unwelcome news at their exit meetings next week, Hartigan and Mackay are not among them.
“Hard one to answer (Mackay’s future) we still don’t know where the list goes next year at this point, we’ve been given a couple of options of what it might look like (size-wise) but until we know for sure it’s impossible to make calls around who will be here and who won’t be,” Nicks said.
“There’s a few in previous weeks who we’ve had conversations with, D-Mac is not one of those, we feel his form this year has been really strong, he’s had a really strong year so that will be a conversation we’ll have with him over the coming month or so.
“We have a trade period, a draft, we’ll find out about list sizes … we won’t lock anything away yet.”
Talia, 28, plays his 200th game this weekend with a year left to run on his contract and remains hopeful of extending his time at West Lakes beyond that.
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Originally published as Former Adelaide skipper Nathan van Berlo to return to West Lakes as midfield coach