Graham Cornes: Matthew Nicks can no longer play Mr Nice Guy while Adelaide produces awful performances
Crows coach Matthew Nicks patted his players on the back after losing to Essendon last round, when he should’ve been giving them a rocket. With a 0-8 record it’s time he got more ruthless, writes Graham Cornes.
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After last week’s disappointing loss to Essendon, Matthew Nicks was faced with every coach’s dilemma. How does a coach compliment effort without rewarding mediocrity?
Yes, in a game of high intensity it was a mighty effort – you could see and almost feel it – but tactically they were awful and the execution of basic football skills was substandard.
It was obvious the players were bitterly disappointed.
It’s been so long since they’ve tasted victory and they got so close.
Indeed, they had most of the play in the last six minutes, but they only have themselves to blame.
That in itself is a problem because how willing is this current generation of young Australians to accept blame and responsibility?
There’s the challenge of a new – age coach.
When Matthew Nicks arrived at the club, the Crows had been portrayed as a playing group with a fragile morale that had lost connection with several coaches, and the football department in general.
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So, while his mandate was to restore morale and confidence, it’s obvious the message about accepting responsibility and doing whatever it takes to win was lost.
Until last Sunday, this had been the least competitive team the Crows had ever put on a footy field.
It’s been the most disappointing feature of the Crows performances this season – a lack of obvious effort.
Other than saying they lack courage, it’s the worst insult you can throw at a professional group of footballers.
Against Essendon, which has been a well-performed team this year, it was different.
For the first time this year the fans could see they were trying; they could sense a win, but again they were frustrated and disappointed.
Football is a game in which momentum is vital and on Sunday, they had it when it mattered most but they squandered it with atrocious disposal, by hand and by foot.
It’s been a trend all season.
“If you can’t kick, you can’t play”, is one of footy’s oldest mantras.
You can add an inability to take the ball cleanly without fumbling or to handball accurately under pressure to the list.
So they lost.
Yet, the fans applauded them from the field and Nicksy was at the door to pat them on the back.
Admittedly, we don’t know what was said behind the closed doors of the meeting room. Hopefully he was as demanding as then Footscray coach Terry Wallace was after his team of perennial losers lost a close encounter to Collingwood on the MCG.
Admittedly it was back in 1996, but the sentiments are so appropriate to last week’s Crows players.
The speech is now ingrained in football folklore but it’s worth repeating – even with the expletives deleted:
“I don’t know about you blokes but I can’t bear f … ing losing a game like that!,” he raged.
“Look, fantastic effort but what does a f …. ing effort mean? It doesn’t get us anything! We don’t get diddly squat! We don’t get a point.
“They don’t just give us something for just f … ing getting close! It means nothing. If you think I’m going to be happy walking into this room when we get beaten still, we can’t be!
“We just can’t accept it! I don’t know about you guys but if I see one bloke walk out of here, getting a pat on the back from people out there for a good effort, I’LL SPEW UP!
“Because it’s just not acceptable.”
Did last week’s Crows players feel the blistering heat of a spray like that? I doubt it.
Effort and basic skills are of course essential for success, but Nicks has another huge dilemma.
Tactically his team is substandard for which his assistant coaches have to share the responsibility.
Centre clearances are so vital in this age of set starting positions and Adelaide is the worst in the competition for breaking from the centre.
Michael Godden and Matthew Clarke are the coaches most responsible for that and while they both are extremely highly regarded by the playing group, nice guys don’t win matches.
Then there is the forward half.
Forward line efficiency and forward pressure are modern football’s most significant factors and while there were glimpses of improvement last week, the Crows’ forwards don’t win enough of the ball or fight hard enough to keep it in their forward area.
Then the back half, where the defenders are too intent on self-preservation and not making a mistake that they they’ve forgotten how to attack.
“The success of a modern team depends on how well defenders attack and how well forwards defend.”
It’s not a new sentiment but the Crows players need to hear it again – and start to implement it.
Nicks has the responsibility for the performance of his coaching group, not unlike our Premier has the responsibility for his ministers.
Sometimes a cabinet reshuffle is inevitable.
Season 2020 was a disaster waiting to happen but who thought it would come to this: applauding players from the ground and patting them on the back after a loss and seeking consolation by having the first pick in the national draft?
Matthew Nicks has inherited a fragile group of players and an unimaginative coaching team.
Mollycoddling them won’t make them tougher or better.
No more Mr Nice Guy.
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Originally published as Graham Cornes: Matthew Nicks can no longer play Mr Nice Guy while Adelaide produces awful performances