Adelaide CEO Tim Silvers says the club won’t be rushed into a contract extension for coach Matthew Nicks, whose deal expires at the end of 2024.
While he says he is happy with Nicks’ work with the group, Silvers admits the media circus that formed around crosstown rivals Port Adelaide and their public timeline for Ken Hinkley is something they have learned from.
“I did watch that a little bit from afar (Port’s situation). You don’t want to be pressured by the media narrative,” he told SEN SA.
“What I can say about Nicks is he has done a terrific job for his four years in total. He’s got the respect of our playing group, he’s building a good culture, he’s got good assistants around him and I think he’s doing a really good job.
“We haven’t put a timeline on a contract extension. That’s something we would pick up in the future.”
Kane Cornes loves this approach from the Crows, saying there is nothing wrong with taking your time and not rushing into such a big call.
“I love that answer. Way too many clubs get sucked in handing coaches contract extensions 12 months before they need to,” Cornes told SEN’s The Captains Run.
“Do you think Luke Beveridge would be the coach of the Western Bulldogs next year if they hadn’t got sucked into giving him a contract extension 12 months out from when they needed to.
“Now they’re holding a review on the week that everyone else is returning to pre-season training.
“I think Tim Silvers, as he said, has learned from the way that Port Adelaide put a timeline on Ken Hinkley and that forced them to re-sign him prior to finals.”
“There’s nothing wrong with waiting until at least the halfway point of next season before doing anything.”
Cornes liked Nicks’ work in 2023, with the Crows one of the big improvers of the season. But of course, things can change quickly.
“Matthew Nicks has been impressive. Everything looks good at Adelaide, but everything looked good at Fremantle 12 months ago as well,” Cornes said.
“Fremantle aren’t going to sign Justin Longmuir to a two-year extension right now 12 months before they need to and they won a final last year, so who knows what might happen with Adelaide next year.
“No one is going to come and poach Matthew Nicks. No one was going to go and poach Beveridge. You don’t need to sign them prematurely. Just wait until at least the halfway point of the year.
“Clubs have been burnt by that like the Bulldogs.”
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