Five key takeaways from Nicks’ post-game presser: Round 23 vs Collingwood

Adelaide has officially locked in a top-two finish after a thrilling three-point victory against Collingwood at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

The Crows overcame a 25-point quarter-time deficit to record a gritty 9.5 (59) to 8.8 (56) victory in front of a record crowd of 54,283.

Senior Coach Matthew Nicks spoke to the media after the win, and delivered five key takeaways.

Crows break Collingwood hoodoo

Adelaide recorded its first victory against Collingwood since 2016 in dramatic fashion at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

The two teams had been renowned for close finishes in recent years, with Collingwood winning the previous five encounters by under two goals, and this instalment was no different as both sides fought until the very end.

But this time Adelaide was able to flip the script, holding off the Magpies in a thrilling final few minutes to claim a monumental victory.

“We knew eventually we would get one,” Nicks said.

“We’ve had so many good battles with Collingwood, especially in recent years and we haven’t been able to get it done for a number of reasons.

“First and foremost, because they have been a very good side that has shown they can get it done in close games and have been a bit more experienced than us in those big moments.

“But we knew that eventually it would go our way, we’d learned a lot of lessons from those previous battles and tonight we were able to find a way to do it.

“It was a really gutsy performance, we dug in deep and got a lot of things right which was pleasing.”

Nicks urges fans to enjoy the ride

Enjoy the ride and rip the lid off.

That’s the message Nicks delivered to Adelaide’s supporters, as they came in record numbers to cheer their team to a famous victory on Saturday night.

But internally, the players and staff will not share that same mindset, as they focus solely on the next task hand at hand - a mantra that has held them in great stead all season long.

Nicks spoke about the excitement surrounding the group at the moment, and urged the fans to enjoy the moment.

“The lid obviously is not on is it, we broke the record tonight for our biggest home crowd at the stadium,” Nicks said.

“The lid is not on in South Australia, but the lid is on within the four walls of our footy Club, because we know we have to stay in that space.

“But I’ve even come out and said I think South Australia should be rocking at the moment, and it is, that is a huge crowd.

“That win tonight puts us in a position that allows us to do that again and get South Australia up and about - our supporters have done it tough and now they are in a space to rip the lid off.

“Internally we’re not doing that though, we are so focused on finding our best again and that is the mindset going forward.”

Dissecting the lopsided inside 50 count

Things did not all go Adelaide’s way, as it had to withstand some of Collingwood’s best football to come away with the win.

The Crows conceded 71 inside 50s, and lost clearances 58-32, as they were soundly beaten in the field position aspect of the match.

But as they had done all season, Nicks’ men found a way with their efficiency going inside 50 and ability to defend proving critical to getting the result.

The Senior Coach touched on the gameplan that had been put in place, and how his team was able to repel so many forward 50 entries.

“It was an interesting night in that space, because of where the scoreboard sat and where the game was at, both teams were happy to play with one behind the ball,” Nicks said.

“I’m not sure we’re going to win too many games with 70 to 30 inside 50s against, but the pleasing part is our defenders have embraced what we’ve talked about in defensive stability.

“We also structure up where our pressure on the footy is strong enough, so it’s right across the board and a sense of belief in the way we play.

“The game is won on the scoreboard, so there are times where we’ll keep one behind the ball and we felt that tonight, we know how dangerous Collingwood can be when they are given space in their forward 50 and we didn’t want to ignite that.”

Keane goes from strength-to-strength

Irish defender Mark Keane continued his impressive 2025 campaign with another standout performance against Collingwood on Saturday night.

A key cog to an Adelaide back six that had to defend 71 inside 50s, Keane stood tall, recording 23 disposals, 14 intercepts and eight marks - while keeping the dangerous Brody Mihocek goalless.

Nicks was full of praise for the key defender and how far he had come this season.

“He’s starting to push his way into my favourite,” Nicks said.

“He gets better and better every week and he is still so raw which is the most exciting thing.

“Right now he is playing among a great group in our backline, they have connected so well which is really helping all those guys play great footy.

“Keaney is certainly unique isn’t he?”

Potential minor premiership firmly back of mind

Adelaide has an opportunity to win its third minor premiership in its history, with a win in its final home and away match of the season against North Melbourne next week.

But Nicks and the group are not allowing themselves to think too deeply about the enormity of that achievement - with their sole focus on getting better each week.

He did however admit he was proud to see the hard work the Club had put in to turn around its bottom-four finish in 2024.

“Things like that you might look back on as a group and say what a great achievement, but if you lose yourself now and start thinking about that you lose focus on what you’re trying to do,” Nicks said.

“I’m really proud of what our footy club has been able to achieve. I looked at last year and there were a number of things we didn’t get right, so I’m glad we’ve been able to turn that around.

“But we aren’t looking at anything in regards to a minor premiership, we are just locked in week on week and getting better.”

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