Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks is aware of the pressure which faces Adelaide in this year's finals series.
Minor premiers last year, the Crows have plateaued somewhat this year and could finish as low as seventh.
Should he coach out next season, Nicks would pass Neil Craig as the most capped Adelaide coach in the club's history but has yet to win a final, losing both of his only chances so far last season.
“Of course, yeah,” Nicks said when asked about the pressure on him in the finals series.
“I've had the best seven years cracking in with this group and we've made some huge gains and developed as a group, we continue to do that.
“We're in a really strong spot at the moment. We're a chance, albeit slim, to finish third, we could finish seventh and have one of the toughest draws through finals.”
Nicks' contract expires at the end of next season, leaving this year's finals series as a potential deal-breaker, or deal-sweetner.
The Crows need to win to be any chance of avoiding Wildcard Round, and is reliant on either Western Bulldogs beating Melbourne, Richmond upsetting Geelong, West Coast beating Hawthorn or Collingwood winning by a reasonable margin against Brisbane to finish in the top six.
“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.
“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 takes on GWS on Saturday night.
