"Makes me nervous": Why Cornes is worried about Nicks

With Adelaide facing the possibility of dropping into the Wildcard spots, Kane Cornes has expressed some doubt over Matthew Nicks’ game plan.

Following last year’s minor premiership and straight-sets exit, the Crows have remained around the mark in 2026, finding themselves just outside the top four with their game plan of winning contested possessions and a strong defence serving them well.

But against the Dockers on Friday night, Adelaide wasn’t able to contain the ladder leaders, seeing them concede 100+ points for only the second time since Round 8, having lost by 24 points.

Reflecting on the result, Cornes believed this iteration of the Crows reminds him of Melbourne’s somewhat predictable approach under its previous coach.

“They remind me so much of Melbourne under Simon Goodwin,” he said on SEN’s Crunch Time.

“All he ever used to speak about was contest and defence, and you really admire teams that play that way.

“But it must just be difficult to try and win like that every single week.

“When you come up against a team like Fremantle who can match you in that, who can match your pressure, can match your contest, can match your tackle like they out-tackled them, just the basic metric by 72 to 58.

“So (if) they can match you there, then what else have you got to go to?

“That's why, I think they said to Izak Rankine, ‘Go deep and get yourself going, help us with your ball movement’.

“He had 27 of his 39 (disposals) in the back half last night. That's why they're playing (Hugo) Hall-Kahan, (who) is a young player who's not quite ready to genuinely take the game on like that.

“(Mark) Keane (playing) back helps them a little bit, but yeah, it's all contest defence, and it just reminds me so much of Simon Goodwin.”

And with the Demons experiencing plenty of success under new coach Steven King, who has been more attacking, the SEN Fireball host wondered whether Nicks should be nervous about his position.

“Then you get a new coach (Steven King) in who you've already got the DNA of contest and defence and clearance and scoring from there, but then you add the extra element which he wants his defence to buy in,” he continued.

“He speaks about, I want everyone to buy in offensively. You've already got the fundamentals of your game there, which was set up by Simon Goodwin.

“I don't know, it makes me nervous for Matthew Nicks.”

While former West Coast coach Adam Simpson disagreed with the sentiment, the 300-game great for Port Adelaide noted that Nicks is still yet to win a final since taking over in 2020.

“If things don't go well, Simmo, this is seven years (of Nicks in charge),” Cornes added.

“If he doesn't win a final, like how long do you get?”

Adelaide will look to lock away their spot in the top six when they host the Giants at Adelaide Oval next Saturday from 8:10pm AEST.