Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell has revealed a critical flaw in Adelaide’s game-plan and believes coach Matthew Nicks is not the right man for the job.
Despite ranking No.1 across multiple key metrics — including contested possessions, tackles, and post-clearance contested possession — the Crows have a glaring weakness that sets them apart from successful teams.
WATCH THE VISION ABOVE: Tom Mitchell exposes Adelaide’s issues
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Adelaide are the only team in the AFL under 100 metres per game for handball metres gained, a statistic that Mitchell says is essential for modern football.
“I think Adelaide should have made a coaching change. I don’t think Matthew Nicks should be at the helm at Adelaide,” Mitchell said on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.
Mitchell said it was a strategy problem rather than a personnel issue, with the team consistently playing backwards and sideways handball rather than attacking forward with the ball.
Damning vision from the opening centre bounce of Adelaide’s semi-final loss to Brisbane, highlighted the team’s approach, with backwards and sideways handball before a shallow clearance kick from the back of the centre circle.
In contrast, reigning premiers Brisbane played forward football with handball, knock-ons and surge play to gain 50 metres of territory through what Mitchell called “messy metres” — something Adelaide don’t do.
Mitchell showed multiple clips of Adelaide choosing to handball backwards rather than driving forward.
“As you can see here, so across the season, No.1 at all these stats, and they look great on paper, don’t they? So No.1 for contest, post-clearance contested possession, that’s a workrate stat, tackles, how good is that? Looks great on paper,” Mitchell said.
“But where they go wrong is handball metres gained. The game is telling us you need to go at the game with handball, so let’s look at some of these numbers. Adelaide, the only team in the AFL under 100 metres gained from handball.”
Adelaide average 89.5 metres gained by handball per game. The next worst was the Western Bulldogs at 172 metres gained.
“You’ve got to go at the game and challenge the game,” Mitchell said.
“And I know they went after (Brisbane dynamo) Zac Bailey, so they’re aware of it, but Zac Bailey isn’t going to get you 200 metres gained from one player.
“So this is a system issue. It’s a coaching issue. It’s a strategy issue, and the vision will explain exactly why.”
Mitchell said the team’s strong workrate statistics showed players were buying in and giving great effort, but without a change in strategy, Adelaide won’t progress beyond preliminary finals or grand finals.
Nicks was under extreme pressure heading into the elimination final against the Western Bulldogs, with Channel 7’s Tom Morris revealing the coach would face the axe if the Crows failed to win.
Of course, they did win but then lost the following final against the Lions, the club’s second straight departure at the semi-final stage.
However, Adelaide chief executive Tim Silvers then guaranteed Nicks would serve out the final year of his contract next season.
“There has been considerable commentary and speculation about our senior coach’s future in recent times but our position has not changed,” Silvers wrote in a letter to Crows members.
“We believe in Matthew Nicks, we trust the program he leads, and we remain aligned on our vision for the future.
“He will be our senior coach in 2027.”
AFL great Nick Riewoldt said wondered whether the Crows could fix the issue next year.
“You’ve said that Matty Nicks shouldn’t be coaching. Can you fix it in one summer? So Adelaide are giving great effort, which is why I think Matty Nicks deserve to keep his job. Because the players buy in, and they give great effort all the time. Can he fix that?” Riewoldt asked.
Mitchell said he could and personnel helped.
“Zac Bailey clearly would have helped. He’s a player that breaks the lines. But it’s not a one-player thing. It’s a system thing. They constantly dump kick, and under 100 handball metres gained per game is just not going to cut it deep in finals.”
Nicks is in his seventh year as a senior coach, and this is only the second time he has made the finals.
Last year, they finished top but crashed out in straight sets.
Adelaide haven’t won a final since making the grand final in 2017.
Nicks is contracted until the end of 2027 after signing an extension in December last year.
