Crows coach Nicks signs two-year contract extension

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has signed a two-year contract extension to remain at the helm of the AFL club until the end of 2026.

Nicks, entering his fifth season at the Crows but yet to reach the finals, had been due to fall off-contract at the end of this season.

“While we have made progress, I feel like we are just getting started,” Nicks said in a statement on Thursday.

“And with the right people in the right seats in every area of the organisation we are well placed.

“From a playing perspective, I am so excited about our playing group.

“We have some extremely talented individuals and across the board we have people with great character, which is crucial to what we are building.

“As a team we’ve done an incredible amount of work to this point and I really want to see this through and deliver the success that all Crows fans deserve.”

Nicks, a former assistant coach at Port Adelaide and GWS, was appointed as Adelaide’s coach for the 2020 season.

The Crows finished last in his debut season, the club’s first wooden spoon, with just three wins.

Nicks and the Crows won seven, eight and 11 games in the following seasons and he has 29 wins and 55 losses overall.

Despite that record, Adelaide chief executive Tim Silvers said Nicks was considered a long-term coach.

“The way in which Nicksy has led our club through some challenging times early in his tenure and our subsequent climb up the ladder, albeit acknowledging we have much more to do and achieve, should not be underestimated,” Silvers said in a statement.

“We have seen the on-field improvement and he has developed a game plan we firmly believe will stand up to the pressures of finals footy.

“He ticks all the boxes of fostering a positive, healthy environment for our players, coaches and staff and he has an engaging and authentic approach to communicating with all club stakeholders.

“History says successful clubs need stability and alignment.

“And while there will always be challenges from week-to-week, we want to be a club that consistently plays finals.”