Who’s to blame for this debacle? Rate the Crows’ head honchos

Crows football director Mark Ricciuto and the club’s recruiting team are most to blame for Adelaide’s dismal 2024 season – but coach Matthew Nicks has escaped the brunt of criticism.

Crows football director Mark Ricciuto and the club’s recruiting team are most to blame for Adelaide’s dismal 2024 season – but coach Matthew Nicks has escaped the brunt of criticism.

That’s according to a new poll by The Advertiser, which asked Crows fans to rate key figures at the club following Thursday night’s humiliating loss to cellar-dweller Richmond at Adelaide Oval.

Supporters have Adelaide’s backroom team firmly in their crosshairs, with club legend Ricciuto given an F grade with 40 per cent of over 2000 votes.

Justin Reid, general manager list management and strategy since 2015, and Hamish Ogilvie, national recruiting manager since November 2006, received even harsher feedback.

More than 60 per cent of fans who voted said the pair deserved an F for their role in the Crows’ embarrassing slide down the ladder in 2024.

Meanwhile, under-fire coach Nicks and his group of assistants, including Scott Burns, Nathan van Berlo and Jack Hombsch, were each given a pass mark C grading by supporters.

Fans can rate the key players in the Crows’ hierarchy below – use the drop-down menus below to grade each of the key figures at the club from A (exceptional) to F (fail).

Crows Senior coach Matthew Nicks address his team during its 2024 AFL Round 13 home ground loss to last placed Richmond last night. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

Matthew Nicks, coach: Appointed to rebuild the team to finals contenders – almost delivered last year after taking side to wooden spoon in 2020, his first season. Controversially reappointed in March for two years.

Jordan Dawson: First South Australian-born Crows captain since 2010, Dawson won Crows fans’ hearts with a post-siren Showdown-winning goal in 2022. Regularly among the Crows’ best, he on Thursday night acknowledged players need to display better on-field leadership.

Adelaide's captain Jordan Dawson after missing a goal during the AFL Gather Round match between the Crows and Demons at the Adelaide Oval on April 4. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Crows chairman John Olsen. Picture: Brenton Edwards

John Olsen: Former Liberal premier and Australian Consul-General in New York, Olsen joined the Crows board as chairman in 2020. Term dominated by plans for new club headquarters. On Wednesday stood by Nicks’ reappointment, saying he was “the right coach for the Adelaide Football Club currently”.

Tim Silvers: Chief executive officer since March, 2021. Spent 17 years at Hawthorn, finishing as chief operating officer.

Crows chief executive Tim Silvers. Picture: Shashi Baltutis

Crows club hero and football director Mark Ricciuto. Picture. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Mark Ricciuto: Past captain and Brownlow Medallist, who played 312 games for the club, including the 1998 premiership. Football director, first elected to club board in 2014, whose board term expires in February next year. Highly respected but also a fan target for off-field performance.

General manager list management Justin Reid. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Justin Reid: General manager list management and strategy since 2015. Club’s lowly finishes have handed recruiters a series of top draft picks – have they used them wisely?

Hamish Ogilvie: National recruiting manager since November, 2006. See Reid above.

Executive general manager football Adam Kelly. Picture: Morgan Sette

Adam Kelly: Executive general manager football since 2020. Previously SANFL general manager football and East Fremantle CEO. Crows also headhunted former Richmond premiership football manager Neil Balme for key off-field role.

Forwards and senior assistant coach Scott Burns. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Assistant couch midfield Nathan Van Berlo. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

Scott Burns: Senior assistant coach (forwards). Former Norwood and Collingwood player who held assistant coaching roles at West Coast, Collingwood and Hawthorn.

Nathan van Berlo: Assistant coach (midfield). Former Crows captain who returned to club in 2021 from West Coast, where he was also midfield coach.

Jack Hombsch: Backline coach. Played 116 AFL games with GWS, Port Adelaide and Gold Coast. Coaching experience as head of development for Crows AFLW program and backline development coach for club’s AFL and SANFL programs.

Editor’s note: The polls originally on this story were not displaying correctly on some mobile devices. We’ve now republished the story with new polls that do work, but as a result votes cast in the 10 minutes after this story was first published have not counted in the tallies below. We apologise for the inconvenience.

Originally published as Who’s to blame for this debacle? Rate the Crows’ head honchos