Tim Silvers Q&A: Crows boss on Adelaide’s finals hunt, Matthew Nicks contract extension, concussions and the season ahead

From 2024 expectations and extending coach Matthew Nicks’ contract to the game’s big issues and the latest on Thebby, Crows boss Tim Silvers opens up in an exclusive Q&A.

Ahead of Adelaide’s season opener against Gold Coast on Saturday night, Crows chief executive Tim Silvers spoke exclusively to Simeon Thomas-Wilson about Matthew Nicks, the game’s big issues and the year ahead.

Simeon Thomas-Wilson: Tim how is the mood around the club ahead of Round 1?

Tim Silvers: It is very positive, I think when you get close to the season there is always some positivity around a footy club and we are embracing some of the expectation of the year. It has been a long pre-season, we have played a couple of trial games. We have the week off, we saw the opening round last night and we are ready to play, we can’t wait for the season to start, finals are on the agenda for us. We have to earn the right to play finals, we were close last year we just need to have a few things go our way and we think we can deliver that.

STW: There probably is the most excitement ahead of a season since you have been at the Crows then?

TS: No doubt, you can feel the excitement in the playing group, you can feel the excitement in the staff and you can feel the excitement in the state. What we have been able to build over the last few years has been really positive, now we need to deliver on that expectation. We are embracing that pressure but it is now our time to deliver.

Crows chief executive Tim Silvers. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

STW: Is there any danger in it almost being finals or bust for the Crows this year? Especially with how even the competition is where you could say there are up to 15 teams who would be aiming for finals?

TS: We are obviously in that mix and of course there are no guarantees, and we need to earn that right to be in September. The hard work starts now. We’ve had a plan and we are trying to deliver on that plan. But it is a very even competition, our first three games feel quite tough. We play Gold Coast away, we play Geelong at home and we play Freo away on a Friday night in Perth and all three of those teams didn’t play finals last year and they are all challenging games.

STW: Could we see Matthew Nicks get a new contract before Round 1?

TS: We don’t want to put a timeline on it, I have been saying that for months. Nicksy is a great coach I’m really aligned with him, he is aligned with our footy program, he has the support of our players, he has set up a great environment and culture but there is no rush. We are having positive discussions.

STW: The expectation seems to be that something will get done early on in the season. You say there is no rush but why is there a desire to get it done earlier in the season rather than wait and see how the season goes?

TS: Matthew and I are on the same page, as well as the key leaders at the footy club. We think the contract will take care of itself.

STW: A lot of people have said Matthew deserves to see the rewards of the rebuild given he has guided the club through it

TS: Under his leadership we have had three wins, seven wins, eight wins and 11. He has put in the hard yards and we think he is a coach that can take us to the next level. So I support him.

Matthew Nicks is expected to sign a new deal shortly. Picture: Albert Perez/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

STW: What is it about him that makes you feel that he can take the Crows to the next level?

TS: He has a lot of great attributes Nicksy. But what he has done really well here is create a great culture, he has been able to build relationships with the entire footy program. Players have bought into him and he has brought a style of footy that we think will deliver in finals and empowers really good assistant coaches around him. We’ve seen him develop over his four years and I’m confident he will continue to develop into the future.

STW: Is the rebuild officially over then? If so is it nice to say it is over?

TS: A lot of our key leaders didn’t want to use the word rebuild. It has been difficult for our supporters as well but we made the bold decision to re-set and rebuild the footy club from a playing list point of view. So we went heavily to the draft for a number of years and now we are starting to see some of those kids come through and hopefully become dominant AFL players in the future. And now part of our list management strategy is to bring in some really high-end players like we did with Jordan Dawson and Izak Rankine to really top off our list. I suppose you could say the rebuild is over but this has been a carefully, well-thought out and planned strategy and we are looking to deliver on it over the next few years.

STW: As CEO it must be pleasing and exciting to see some of the timeslots you have for games so far?

TS: Really positive, I think in my first year at the footy club we played three games in marquee timeslots and in the first 15 games of this year we are playing six and five of them are at home. We played an exciting brand of footy last year, we always came out to play, we played really well at Adelaide Oval and we have a lot of players who are excitement machines. We felt like we deserved some marquee timeslots and have got them this year. Now we need to deliver but I feel like we have a few players who like the spotlight.

STW: This week we saw the big announcement from the AFL regarding concussion, 21 days minimum stand-down outside of the AFL. What’s yours and the clubs thoughts on this?

TS: Player health and wellbeing is the No. 1 priority of the competition and our footy club, so I leave it up to the medical experts to make the decisions. We fully respect 21 days for community players and 12 days for AFL players, we will follow and adhere to them. We have an experienced and excellent group of doctors and we will do the right things as per the rules. Concussion has been such a big part of our game, we saw Angus Brayshaw retire recently which brings it front and centre and we have had Paul Seedsman. So whatever is right for our people will be the priority.

Crows chief executive Tim Silvers is hoping. Picture: Shashi Baltutis

STW: Do you feel like there is a concern among clubs about potential litigation around concussion given what we have seen over the past couple of years?

TS: There is the spectre of litigation but we are footy clubs and we are people based, we are about relationships and trying to make players better people when they leave the footy club. I think player health and welfare is our No. 1 priority and we will do whatever we can to continue to make this game the best it can be but also safe.

STW: Do you feel that with state leagues likely to have the 21-day protocols that this further takes us down the path of a national reserves competition?

TS: I’m not sure the concussion changes will speed up national reserves but if we talk about national reserves in isolation what we have got is this VFL competition that expands over 21 teams, 14 AFL teams who basically have a reserves team within that and we only have four teams outside of that which are ourselves, Port, West Coast and Freo. And there is no equality among the second-tier. We feel – and the SANFL is what we came from, we were born from the competition and it has been a great competition for us as a footy club – that we need to explore what the national reserves will be like for equality across the AFL.
STW: Do you think the AFL can get a national reserves competition up and running for next year?

TS: It is probably a question best for Andrew Dillon and Laura Kane. They were out at our club and we had a lot of discussions about it. It is certainly on the agenda for next year but I am not sure if they are able to deliver it in that time frame.

READ MORE: CROWS WOULD JOIN AFL RESERVES COMPETITION

A SANFL Showdown could soon be the thing of the past. Picture: Sarah Reed

Adelaide's Taylor Walker celebrates kicking a goal during the AFL Gather Round match between the Adelaide Crows and Carlton Blues at the Adelaide Oval on April 13, 2023. Picture: Phil Hillyard

STW: Port Adelaide have been very vocal in this space, but based on what you are saying if it happens the Crows would at the very least strongly consider going across?

TS: Well if a national reserves competition is established there is no doubt that we would go across to be a part of that competition because we think there are some performance advantages. The advantages that the 14 other clubs get at the moment from being part of the VFL through list management and access to top-up players is a lot better compared to Port and ourselves. So we would be an advocate for national reserves.

STW: Coming from Melbourne to Adelaide, what have you learnt about SA footy and how do you view the differences between the two?

TS: I know there is a lot of passion for footy in SA, you can’t walk the streets without people talking to you about footy. And I love that I’m a footy tragic myself so happy to talk footy and the difference I see now leading an AFL club that is outside of Victoria is that sometimes the competition, the AFL, can be a little bit Victorian-centric. So I find it as my role having really good relationships with people at the AFL is to get headquarters to understand some of the inequities that exist between the clubs and national reserves is one of those.

STW: Do you feel that the AFL is getting better at listening to the interstate clubs? We have seen what they are doing with Opening Round and helping the likes of GWS and Gold Coast.

TS: I feel that, especially under Andrew Dillon what has been a noticeable change even in the last few months is that they have been out to our club a number of times. They were out here last week, they brought their entire executive out here for a day in November. They are getting out to the clubs more and being more consultative to understand the markets. I am impressed with Opening Round, it gives your Gold Coast’s and GWS’ the chance to host marquee matches and it also gives the Round 1 timeslots which are very Victorian-centric and then clubs like ours can have a Round 2 marquee timeslot when we take on Geelong. I think sharing a bit of the love across the competition is the right thing to grow our game.

The Crows after their Gather Round victory last season. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

STW: The second Gather Round will shortly be upon us, do you have anything special planned for that?

TS: We want to lead off Gather Round and have a big win like we did last year against Carlton. But the best thing for us is that we have the whole AFL industry in our backyard. We are really proud of South Australia and Adelaide Oval and what we can deliver on this stage. Last year was fantastic, we can thank the Premier and the State Government for bringing it to the state and I think this year's is going to be even better. I know I have about 15 different relatives who want to stay at my place because they can’t get an Airbnb in town. It is going to be massive and I can’t wait.

STW: That Carlton win must have been a special moment for you? A lot of people have said it was like when the Crows were in finals, almost a mini-final in a way?

TS: Well because we hadn’t played marquee games for a number of years it was a bit of a mini-final for us, it was us on the big stage and we delivered in that first quarter. I think that was when we announced ourselves. Unfortunately we weren’t as consistent as we would have liked to be last year but I think we are showing some really good signs as a footy club and hopefully we can take that next step in 2024 and be more consistent, especially away from Adelaide Oval.

STW: How much convincing did you have to do with the AFL to get the Showdown a stand-alone, prime-time slot?

TS: Well it has taken three years, no doubt it took some time and I understand the commercial piece around having a Thursday or Friday night game where it is the one market where the two teams are from. But what I do know is that this rivalry is the biggest in the competition. I say to people interstate they should come here for a week and live and breathe Showdown week, it deserves a national stage and we have finally got one and I can’t wait for us to deliver another close game and hopefully the Crows can get over the line.

STW: When do you think you will get the green light for Thebarton Oval?

TS: It has been a long process but good things take time. We are going through state planning at the moment, we are hoping to get some approvals over the next month or so and we are hoping to start our build towards the middle of the year. We want to move our entire club by 2026. It has taken some time to get here, we wanted to be a good neighbour, we wanted to be consultative and we want to be a destination club for players, staff and coaches and I think we can achieve all of that in a major build at Thebarton for our footy club.

STW: It seems like there is still some work to be done with some dissatisfied residents around Thebarton though?

TS: There is always work to do when you consult, everyone is entitled to their opinion. So we will listen, learn and take on all feedback and hopefully proceed in the middle of the year.

Originally published as Tim Silvers Q&A: Crows boss on Adelaide’s finals hunt, Matthew Nicks contract extension, concussions and the season ahead