Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks is feeling the pressure, with reports suggesting he may not lead the Crows next year if he can't win Saturday's elimination final against the Western Bulldogs.
Pressure is mounting on Nicks after six completed seasons as Adelaide's coach without a finals win. Last year, they claimed the minor premiership only to be knocked over in straight sets by Collingwood and Hawthorn.
According to a report in The Agenda Setters, the Crows have discussed with Nicks regarding his future and 2027.
Nicks himself acknowledged the pressure of being the senior coach of Adelaide.
“I know as a coach being here as long as I have that there's pressure to perform in that finals series but I came in saying ‘I want to lead this footy club and have it in a stronger position than when I arrived' and at the moment we're in a strong position and I'm proud of that but I'll back the boys in,” Nicks said a fortnight ago.
“We'll perform, and we're ready to go.
“When you take a head coaching role on, you embrace the fact there's going to be some pressure.”
Adelaide hasn't won a final since the 2017 preliminary final, a week before their grand final loss to Richmond.
"If Adelaide loses to the Western Bulldogs this Saturday, then I expect Matthew Nicks will lose his job."
🗣️ Tom Morris on Matthew Nicks' coaching future pic.twitter.com/tvkQ5c0wCH
— 7AFL (@7AFL) August 31, 2026
Under Nicks, the Crows have won 70 games from 154, but in the past two years, he ranks as one of the leading coaches.
St Kilda great and fellow panellist Nick Riewoldt was surprised that this conversation has arisen.
“I can't believe that we're having this conversation. 33-13 over the last two years, second only to Fremantle, and you're saying his job's on the line?” Riewoldt said.
“So I understand the point around no finals win, but this is a team that are elite defensively, they're elite at applying pressure, the players all buy in.
“Yes, there's some ball movement issues, but the playing group believe in Matthew Nicks and they're buying in from a game plan perspective. I can't believe we're having this conversation.”
Nicks did sign a one-year extension last year.
In his first year in the hot seat, Adelaide claimed the wooden spoon in 2020 with just three wins from 17 games.
Since then, the West Lakes club has been on a steady rebuild, winning seven, eight and 11 games, which should've culminated in a finals appearance in 2023, but fell narrowly short.
Adelaide went backwards the year after, before shooting into premiership contention and remaining in the hunt for its first flag since 1998 this season.
If Nicks were to depart the club, it would be the third coach in 2026 to be moved on.
