How GWS Giants assistant Matthew Nicks helped transform Dane Rampe into an elite Sydney defender

Matthew Nicks helped build the most formidable barrier to the Giants’ scoring hopes on Saturday, but little did he realise Dane Rampe would grow to become the towering force he has.

Dane Rampe locks horns with Jeremy Cameron during the Sydney derby last year. Picture. Phil Hillyard.

Matthew Nicks helped build the most formidable barrier to the Giants’ scoring hopes at the SCG on Saturday, but little did he realise Dane Rampe would grow to become the towering force he has.

The Giants assistant coach, who spent nine years as a player with the Swans between 1996 and 2005, cut his coaching teeth at the University of NSW before heading back to Adelaide where he later spent eight years working at the Crows.

One of the fresh faces that greeted him at his Uni gig was a young Rampe.

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It’s fair to say the now Swans co-captain was not the finished article and Nicks rejects any suggestion that he alone moulded Rampe into the force he is today.

In an underwhelming season so far for the Swans, Rampe has been one of the big positives for John Longmire’s men.

If the Giants are going to come out on top, then getting the better of Rampe will be a key factor.

Dane Rampe locks horns with Jeremy Cameron during the Sydney derby last year. Picture. Phil Hillyard.

“I would love to claim that I made him the footballer he is but that would be a lie,” Nicks joked.

“But I had a fantastic time coaching that young group and to see him go on and become the player he is, is an unbelievable story. To be one of, if not the best, backs in the competition as far as one-on-one contests goes makes you proud that you were once involved in part of his footy.

“I remember talking to that group about defence when I first arrived and some of them looked at me with a stunned look on their face wondering what it was. But no, a fantastic career and he’s only getting better and better. He’s a really tough one for us in terms of getting the ball past him.”

Rampe issued a rallying cry to his own troops this week, warning the Swans’ season is on the line but Nicks is in no mood to do his old side any favours.

“We’re coming off a really poor performance,” Nicks said. “You’ve got two sides who’ll come in super hungry.

“They’re super passionate about the derby here (the Giants). They’re sick of that ‘big brother’ title being placed on Sydney and ‘little brother’ for the Giants and it’s time for that to move on. This is no longer little brother (versus) big brother.”