Matthew Nicks bizarre halftime address captured in rooms at halftime

Keen watchers saw a bizarre visual demonstration from new Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks, who remains winless. The tactic didn’t go to plan as the Crows failed to lift in the second half. SEE THE VISION

Dan Batten

@danbatten_

5 min read

August 2, 2020 - 2:40PM

The pitiful Crows were destroyed by the Roos. Picture: Getty Images

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Bizarre vision of Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks in the rooms at halftime of their 69-point demolition at the hands of North Melbourne has raised eyebrows.

Fox Footy cameras captured Nicks using plastic water bottles as markers on the oval drawn up in the rooms, putting them down with force while talking to his players, who at that stage were 34 points in arrears.

Nicks, clearly frustrated, then walked outside the circle with his hands outstretched before midfielder Rory Atkins came in to move the markers.

WATCH THE ADDRESS IN THE PLAYER ABOVE

The visual demonstration didn’t work as Nicks would have hoped as Adelaide’s woes continued in the second half.

Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes remarked that the tactic was a far cry from the technology players have come to expect in the modern game, questioning whether it was “U10’s or AFL?”

Under 10â€™s or AFL? #AFLNorthCrows pic.twitter.com/IIfUDqOZuE
— Kane Cornes (@kanecornes) August 1, 2020

NICKS APOLOGISES FOR ‘EMBARRASSING’ PERFORMANCE

-Simeon Thomas-Wilson

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has apologised to Crows fans after his side was smashed by North Melbourne in the battle of the two bottom of the ladder teams on the Gold Coast.

The Crows remain winless in 2020, and will now go a calendar year without a victory, after being embarrassed by the Kangaroos – who scored an AFL season high 119 points against them to smash them by 69 points.

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The pitiful Crows were destroyed by the Roos. Picture: Getty Images

The Crows again got smashed in clearances (20-35) and let the Roos have 85 uncontested marks in a game that resembled a North Melbourne training session at times.

Nicks said his side had far too many players playing as individuals.

FIRST WORDS: MAJAK JUST HAPPY TO BE OUT THERE

“I love our people, I love our staff, our players, our coaching group but we took a big step backwards,” he said.

“I’m sorry to our supporters, we weren’t at the level, we were nowhere near the level.”

“We are playing AFL level.”

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has apologised for his club's effort against the Roos. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

In his column for The Advertiser inaugural Crows coach Graham Cornes wrote Nicks needed to stop being “Mr Nice Guy” as the losses pile up for Adelaide.

Nicks said he did bring “the stick” on his players when they needed it, one moment being at the quarter time break.

“It is an interesting one that, I wouldn’t say I am a carrot coach I do bring the stick,” he said.

“It is never an intention for a player to go out and underperform … it is about education and working with these guys to make them a better player.

“We are not going to drop off and get angry at each other. we are going to find a way to get better.”

At halftime Nicks was captured on video moving water bottles and banana’s around in a bid to get his players to play they way he wanted them and not “randomly”.

Winless in 2020, the Crows are searching for answers. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

The Crows’ woes started at 5.30am on Saturday when former captain Taylor Walker rang Nicks to inform him he had gastro and couldn’t fly to Queensland.

Young ruckman Kieran Strachan came in for his debut, despite Darcy Fogarty being named as an emergency and an obvious replacement for Walker.

But Nicks said Fogarty was not fit to play, and didn’t even travel to the Gold Coast, he was only listed as part of protocols required for the young forward to contact train as he comes back from the shoulder injury — which Nicks said had turned out to be a lot worst than first thought when it forced him to miss Round 4.

“Initially we thought he might miss a week or two. it is one of those shoulders that has been a really tough one to get back from,” he said.

Fogarty is expected to miss the clash with Melbourne on Wednesday but Tom Doedee could be back.

It was a cakewalk for the Roos in Majak Daw’s inspirational return. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

LAME CROWS HAMMERED BY ROOS

-Simeon Thomas-Wilson

North Melbourne already had a massive morale boost with Majak Daw’s first AFL game in 706 days — Adelaide not showing up and giving the Roos the freedom to roam Metricon Stadium almost untouched was just the cherry on top.

The Kangaroos snapped a six-game losing streak and consigned a woeful Crows to a calendar year without an AFL win as Adelaide’s season arguably hit a new low with a 12th straight loss.

It was 17th v 18th on the Gold Coast and the Crows looked every inch the bottom side in the ladder – conceding the most points so far in 2020 – as the Kangaroos marked a day they and the AFL will forever look back on fondly with a huge 69-point win.

WHAT A MOMENT

It had been spoken about at length this week ever since North announced Daw would play for the first time since he fell into the Yarra River in December 2018.

But seeing North’s No.1 back at AFL level rammed home just what an inspirational story it has been for Daw over the past 18 months.

Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton was moved to tears ahead of the game – saying Daw had “reclaimed his life” and it was an inspiration for others struggling with mental health.

Daw showed he wasn’t in the team just for a heartwarming story though, with some nice marks, but his goal in the fourth quarter was well and truly the moment of the game.

In fact it was so much more than a goal.

It was feared Daw may never walk again when he fell 25m into the Yarra River in December 2018. But, after recovering from his badly broken pelvis and hips, and then a torn pec which delayed his comeback, Daw tasted AFL action for the first time since 2018.

Mdfield prime mover Shaun Higgins found the going very easy against the Crows. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

WHERE’S THE PRESSURE?

The writing was on the wall early for the Crows, down by six in clearances at the end of the first quarter, while they only managed one tackle in their forward 50 in the first half.

But the lead-up to Jamie Macmillan’s second quarter goal demonstrated just how poor the Crows were.

First Aaron Hall was afforded nearly the entirety of the Roos forward third, with only Reilly O’Brien trying to stop him in a serious speed mismatch.

Then once Hall got the ball, not a single Crows defender went near Macmillan on the other side of the ground and the Kangaroos were able to switch the ball across their forward 50 without a single ounce of pressure against them.

“That is embarrassing for Adelaide,” Jason Dunstall said on Fox Footy.

Debutant Kieran Strachan got some treatment from Majak Daw. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

BAPTISM OF FIRE

The first blow of the day came for Adelaide at 5.30am when former captain Taylor Walker rang coaching staff to inform them he was suffering from gastro and would not make the trip to Queensland.

Despite Darcy Fogarty named as a travelling emergency, the Crows did not go with what would have basically been a like-for-like replacement for Walker, rather making young ruckman Kieran Strachan their sixth AFL debutant this season.

Strachan has played as a key forward in the SANFL but it was always going to be a tough ask of him to contribute to a Crows forward line that has rarely fired in 2020.

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