Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says clash with Sydney biggest in his career

Saturday’s clash at Adelaide Oval could shape the AFL finals series and one player’s return could be the difference.

Izak Rankine will give the Crows a boost. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks labelled Saturday‘s must-win clash with Sydney as the “biggest” of his coaching career as he revealed electric forward Izak Rankine was so ready to return from injury he’s twice broken club records for training speed.

Rankine’s injection for the first time since he injured his hamstring at the MCG in round 19 looms as the X-factor ingredient for the 12th-placed Crows who must knock over the Swans at Adelaide Oval to keep their slim finals hopes alive.

Nicks and Adelaide are all in for the clash, happy with the decision not to rush Rankine, who has kicked 35 goals in his 18 games this season, back for last week’s narrow loss to Brisbane to ensure he’s fully primed for the Swans.

“He has broken the record for high speed in a training session on Wednesday and he may have done that again today,” Nicks said on Friday.

“He’s eager. There was a chance last week and we didn’t take that risk and I’m glad we didn’t because he’s ready to go.”

Izak Rankine is primed for his return. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Adelaide is just a single game outside the top eight with two rounds of the home and away season to go. A final-round clash against cellar-dwellers West Coast provides a massive chance for a round 24 win.

But it could count for little if the Crows don’t take care of the Swans, and Nicks, who is has won the most games of his four-year tenure in 2023, with 10, but is yet to take Adelaide to the finals, has left no one in any doubt about the magnitude of the game.

“This would be the biggest,” Nicks said.

“This is an elimination final for us, so we’re preparing that way.

“We have probably prepared that way for a number of weeks now, performed reasonably well the last month but didn’t quite get it done last week (in the six-point loss to the Brisbane Lions).

“And this one becomes even more important.

“Up against a team in really strong form, five wins on the trot – they‘re back to their best which we saw last year, so no bigger challenge.”

Aiding Adelaide’s efforts are Nicks unashamedly copying much from the Swans, where he played 175 games between 1996 and 2005, after taking over the Crows.

Crows coach Matthew Nicks knows the Swans inside and out. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

He’s studied John Longmire’s team more deeply than any other and is determined to match them in as many aspects as possible.

The Swans have stormed their way into seventh on the ladder and a likely finals berth on the back of five straight wins, and Nicks knows the challenge in front of his team.

“It‘s Sydney who we modelled ourselves on,” he said.

“That’s where the respect level comes from.

“I know the place reasonably well. And I know lots of places change, but they have a culture that they should be really proud of.

“When you watch a team perform as consistently as they have over the years, they’re doing a lot right.

“We’re working at the moment. We’re building something really special.

“We model a fair bit off of what Sydney do and we model a fair bit of some of the other teams that are performing really well.”