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Matthew Nicks' missed opportunity in Adelaide's Tassie loss
Jaiden Sciberras • June 17th, 2025 5:15 pm
The Adelaide Crows failed to capitalise on a handy lead in tough Tassie conditions, managing just one second-half goal to fall three points short of Hawthorn on Friday.
The low-scoring affair saw the Crows pull out to a 15-point lead at half-time, which – given the conditions – would require a significant push from the Hawks to make up lost ground.
Particularly considering Hawthorn had only managed 16 points in the opening two quarters.
In rather disappointing fashion, Adelaide would blow a number of scoring opportunities, finding just one goal and seven behinds in the second half to fall behind in the final term, losing out on the chance to solidify second spot on the AFL ladder.
Given the difficult conditions, Adelaide’s often reliable three-pronged attack failed to fire, with Taylor Walker, Riley Thilthorpe and Darcy Fogarty combining for seven behinds.
With that being said, Western Bulldogs legend Brad Johnson believes that Crows head coach Matthew Nicks should have made a much-needed change at half-time.
“I think Matthew Nicks missed an opportunity on Friday night in Tassie,” Johnson told SEN Sportsday.
“At half-time, personally I think he should have made the change to get Brodie Smith on to the ground and take off one of his key talls.
“The conditions were cold, it was wet, the key forwards for the Adelaide Crows in Tex, Thilthorpe and Fogarty weren’t having any significant impact on the game, and you could tell that that wasn’t going to change in the second half of footy.
“Tex had nine in the first half, Thilthorpe had five, two shots in the first quarter, two disposals. Fogarty had one in the first quarter, five in the second and only one shot.
“(Thilthorpe) started okay, he had a chance to kick one early, a really good one and I think that would have set him away and he missed that opportunity.
“I think for the way the game was being played, and the way that Hawthorn were setting up the ground, the injection of Brodie Smith at that particular point at half-time would have been perfect.
“They needed a kicker, they needed someone who could hit, could change angles, he’s a corridor player, position himself in the corridor for the switch himself and use the ball well going inside forward 50 with two of those players being represented forward of the ball, not three.
“I think Matty Nicks just missed an opportunity there to change the nature of the way Adelaide were going about it in the second half of that game.”
Holding on to a top four spot on percentage, the Crows enter their scheduled bye in Round 15, with Richmond to come on the following Sunday.
