Adelaide Crows coach Matthew Nicks has presented a steadfast front when discussing the straight-sets exit that his side dished up last September.
The Crows claimed the minor premiership, but were bruised and beaten at home by hardened finals sides in Collingwood and Hawthorn, ending their campaign. Nicks refuses to shy away from the learnings that needed to come from those disappointing results.
Speaking to Fox Footy's AFL 360 in the aftermath of his side's first-up victory over modern rivals Collingwood, Nicks gave listeners an insight into just how important Saturday night's result is for his group.
"We've still got a long way to go, but when you talk about where we can be at this point in time, after what was a gut-wreching, disappointing way to finish last year - the only way last year is a failure is if we don't learn from it," he said.
"One of those big learnings is performing on a big stage. For us, the weekend was a huge stage. The MCG, against at team we haven't beaten (at the venue since 2014), 60-70,000 were expected to turn up.
"There was a period of time in that last quarter when Collingwood came at us. We knew they would, they really throw everything at you when they're behind, and they play that game quite well.
"The Collingwood chant went up. There was a real moment there where I was able to chat to 'Daws' (Crows skipper Jordan Dawson) on the phone, and just get his feeling and talk about the moment. This is what we've worked on during the break - this is what we knew we had to be better at.
"For our guys to stand up and finish the job off is a great sign. It's only one step, we're 1-0, but it's a great sign to show that we've learned a fair bit from last year."
The Crows led at every change en route to a gritty victory, with an excellent checkside finish from the pocket, courtesy of cult hero Ben Keays, sealing the memorable result.
Pundits were torn when it came to forecasting of the Crows 2026 campaign in the pre-season, but the side showed a grit in their first outing of the year that will only complement the slick, high-octane offence that characterised their surge up the ladder last season.
The Crows and their newfound grit face a mammoth task this Friday night, however, when the rampaging Western Bulldogs come to town. Nicks' side welcomes back Izak Rankine, who hasn't been cited since last August, after he infamously lobbed a homophobic slur at Collingwood's Isaac Quaynor in one of many landmark moments in the modern rivalry.
