Matthew Nicks

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Matthew Nicks
Matthew Nicks, Ade vs. GWS 2022 (52396645580) (cropped).jpg
Nicks addressing Adelaide players, 2022
Personal information
Full name Matthew Nicks
Born (1975-05-13) 13 May 1975 (age 50)
Adelaide, South Australia
Original team West Adelaide (SANFL)
Debut 14 April 1996, Sydney Swans  vs. Collingwood Magpies, at SCG
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
1996–2005 Sydney Swans 175 (125)
Coaching career3
YearsClubGames (W–L–D)
2020– Adelaide 122 (55–73–1)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2005.
3 Coaching statistics correct as of round 23, 2025.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Matthew Nicks (born 13 May 1975) is a former professional Australian Football League player and currently the senior coach of the Adelaide Football Club. [1] He was recruited from the West Adelaide Football Club to the Sydney Swans with the 21st selection in the 1994 AFL draft. [2]

Contents

Playing career

Sydney Swans

Nicks made his Australian Football League debut in 1996 for the Sydney Swans and played a total of 175 games over the next 10 seasons. [3] He retired from AFL football in 2005 after prolonged struggles with injury and illness, including a broken leg in 1995, [4] pneumonia in 2000, a broken finger in 2001 [5] and a stress fracture in his leg in 2005. His second last game was the round 10, 2005 match against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium in which the Swans came under severe scrutiny from the AFL, in particular from then-CEO Andrew Demetriou and Network 10 commentators Stephen Quartermain, Tim Lane and Robert Walls, over their performance. [6] [7] [8]

Coaching career

Port Adelaide Football Club assistant coach (2011–2018)

Nicks joined the Port Adelaide Football Club in 2011 as a club development coach in an assistant coaching position under senior coach Matthew Primus until the end of 2012 season, during which time the Power struggled towards the bottom part of the ladder, finishing 16th and 14th in 2011 and 2012 respectively. [9] From 2013 to 2015, he served as the club's backline coach under senior coach Ken Hinkley and in 2016, he served as the forwards coach under senior coach Hinkley. [10] In 2017, Nicks was named as Port Adelaide's senior assistant coach under senior coach Hinkley. Nicks left the Port Adelaide Football Club at the end of the 2018 season. [11]

Greater Western Sydney Giants assistant coach (2019)

Nicks joined the GWS Giants as a senior assistant coach under senior coach Leon Cameron for the 2019 season. [12]

Adelaide Football Club senior coach (2020–present)

In October 2019, Nicks was appointed senior coach of the Adelaide Football Club, shortly after previous senior coach Don Pyke announced his departure. [13] [14] [15] [16] Due to a variety of reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the club entering a rebuild at his arrival, and the lack of experienced assistant coaches at Adelaide, the Crows under Nicks slumped to a 0–13 start to the 2020 season, leading to Nicks being called “the least supported coach” in Adelaide’s history. [17] [18] He won his first game as Adelaide Football Club senior coach when the Crows defeated Hawthorn by 35 points in round 15, 2020. [19]

In season 2025, he guided not only the club to its first minor premiership since 2017 and also its first finals appearance since that very same season.

Player statistics

Statistics are correct to end of career [20]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals  
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds  
  H  
 Handballs  
  M  
 Marks
SeasonTeamNo.GamesTotalsAverages (per game) Votes
GBKHDMTGBKHDMT
1996 Sydney 366212511361280.30.24.21.86.02.01.30
1997 Sydney 2320631509924959260.30.27.55.012.53.01.30
1998 Sydney 2324105291138429104420.40.212.15.817.94.31.89
1999 Sydney 232395263123386106260.40.211.45.316.84.61.14
2000 Sydney 2319131322986315107290.70.712.04.516.65.61.56
2001 Sydney 231816211867025689321.41.210.33.914.24.91.89
2002 Sydney 232128181867225886511.30.98.93.412.34.12.43
2003 Sydney 231816111255718262340.90.66.93.210.13.41.90
2004 Sydney 23171451285618465360.80.37.53.310.83.82.10
2005 Sydney 2391258278526220.10.26.43.09.42.92.40
Career175125841641238020237163060.70.59.44.213.64.11.731

Coaching statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2025 season. [21]
TeamYearHome and Away SeasonFinals
WonLostDrewWin %PositionWonLostWin %Result
ADE 2020 3140.17618th out of 18----
ADE 2021 7150.31815th out of 18----
ADE 2022 813 0.38114th out of 18----
ADE 2023 11120.47810th out of 18----
ADE 2024 8141.34815th out of 18----
ADE 2025 1850.7831st out of 1802–Lost to Hawthorn in the Semi Final
Total55751.42012th02–

Notes

1. ^ Matthew Nicks missed the round 8 game against Carlton due to contracting COVID-19, senior assistant coach Scott Burns was appointed interim senior coach in his absence. [22]

References

  1. ↑ "Nicks appointed Senior Coach". Adelaide Football Club. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  2. ↑ Lovett, Michael, ed. (2005). AFL Record 2005: Guide to Season. p. 416. ISBN   0-9580300-6-5.
  3. ↑ "MATTHEW NICKS" . Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "Loyal Nicks forced to call it quits". Sydney Morning Herald. 10 August 2005.
  5. ↑ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2002). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (4th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Crown Content. p. 483. ISBN   1-74095-001-1 .
  6. ↑ "A new face after Roos loses faith". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 June 2005. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  7. ↑ "Ugly Swans' flag hopes at half-mast". Sydney Morning Herald. 30 May 2005. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "Nicks' homecoming behind enemy lines". 29 March 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "From Port to Adelaide, Gold Coast Suns complete the grand slam". The Roar. 21 June 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  10. ↑ "Matthew Nicks". portadelaidefc.com.au. Port Adelaide Football Club. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  11. ↑ "Two AFL assistant coaches to depart Port". 6 August 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  12. ↑ "Matthew Nicks Joins GIANTS". 27 August 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  13. ↑ Ryan, Peter (15 October 2019). "Nicks says Crows will go on the attack". The Age. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  14. ↑ "Adelaide Crows announce Matthew Nicks as new coach". 15 October 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  15. ↑ "Nicks appointed Senior Coach". 15 October 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  16. ↑ "Adelaide Crows new coach revealed to be Matthew Nicks". 14 October 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  17. ↑ SEN (3 August 2020). "Is Nicks Adelaide's Most "Least Supported Coach" Ever?". Seven News. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  18. ↑ Fox Sports Staff (1 August 2020). "Crows coach declares club took 'big step backwards' in horror loss to Roos". Fox Sports. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  19. ↑ McGowan, Marc (1 September 2020). "Disaster averted as Crows break drought against Hawks". Australian Football League. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  20. ↑ "AFL Tables – Matthew Nicks statistics". AFL Tables.
  21. ↑ "AFL Tables – Matthew Nicks – Coaching Record". afltables.com.
  22. ↑ "'A thousand anti-vaxxers coming at me': AFL star targeted online after health scare". ABC News. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2024.

Matthew Nicks's playing statistics from AFL Tables

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