Matthew Nicks (born 13 May 1975) is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current senior coach of the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League (AFL). Recruited from West Adelaide in the 1994 national draft, Nicks spent his entire playing career with the Sydney Swans between 1996 and 2005.
Following his retirement, Nicks has had an extensive coaching career. From 2011 to 2018, he was an assistant coach at Port Adelaide and the Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2019. He was appointed the senior coach of Adelaide in October 2019. Under Nicks, the Crows completed the most significant turnaround in AFL history, rising from a 15th-placed finish in 2024 to claiming the minor premiership in the 2025 season.
Playing career Sydney Swans Nicks made his Australian Football League debut in 1996 for the Sydney Swans and played a total of 175 games over the next 10 seasons. He retired from AFL football in 2005 after prolonged struggles with injury and illness, including a broken leg in 1995, pneumonia in 2000, a broken finger in 2001 and a stress fracture in his leg in 2005. He played his last game in Round 11 of 2005, and was unable to break back into the side which ultimately won the 2005 premiership.
Coaching career Port Adelaide Football Club assistant coach (2011–2018)
Nicks joined the Port Adelaide Football Club in 2011 as a club development coach in an assistant coaching position under senior coach Matthew Primus until the end of 2012 season, during which time the Power struggled towards the bottom part of the ladder, finishing 16th and 14th in 2011 and 2012 respectively. From 2013 to 2015, he served as the club's backline coach under senior coach Ken Hinkley and in 2016, he served as the forwards coach under senior coach Hinkley. In 2017, Nicks was named as Port Adelaide's senior assistant coach under senior coach Hinkley. Nicks left the Port Adelaide Football Club at the end of the 2018 season.
Greater Western Sydney Giants assistant coach (2019) Nicks joined the GWS Giants as a senior assistant coach under senior coach Leon Cameron for the 2019 season.
Adelaide Football Club senior coach (2020–present) In October 2019, Nicks was appointed senior coach of the Adelaide Football Club, shortly after previous senior coach Don Pyke announced his departure. Due to a variety of reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the club entering a rebuild at his arrival, and the lack of experienced assistant coaches at Adelaide, the Crows under Nicks slumped to a 0–13 start to the 2020 season, leading to Nicks being called “the least supported coach” in Adelaide’s history. He won his first game as Adelaide Football Club senior coach when the Crows defeated by 35 points in round 15, 2020.
In season 2025, he guided the club to its first minor premiership since 2017 and also its first finals appearance since that very same season. However, the Crows did not win a quarter against either or and became the first minor premiers since 1983 to exit the finals in straight sets. The following year Adelaide slipped to sixth on the ladder, and reports suggested that he would lose his job should the Crows fail to beat the in the elimination final. Adelaide won that game, but were eliminated in the semi-final the following week.
Player statistics Statistics are correct to end of career
| 1996 | | 36 || 6 || 2 || 1 || 25 || 11 || 36 || 12 || 8 || 0.3 || 0.2 || 4.2 || 1.8 || 6.0 || 2.0 || 1.3 || 0
| 1997 | | 23 || 20 || 6 || 3 || 150 || 99 || 249 || 59 || 26 || 0.3 || 0.2 || 7.5 || 5.0 || 12.5 || 3.0 || 1.3 || 0 |- | 1998 | | 23 || 24 || 10 || 5 || 291 || 138 || 429 || 104 || 42 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 12.1 || 5.8 || 17.9 || 4.3 || 1.8 || 9
| 1999 | | 23 || 23 || 9 || 5 || 263 || 123 || 386 || 106 || 26 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 11.4 || 5.3 || 16.8 || 4.6 || 1.1 || 4
| 2000 | | 23 || 19 || 13 || 13 || 229 || 86 || 315 || 107 || 29 || 0.7 || 0.7 || 12.0 || 4.5 || 16.6 || 5.6 || 1.5 || 6
| 2001 | | 23 || 18 || 16 || 21 || 186 || 70 || 256 || 89 || 32 || 1.4 || 1.2 || 10.3 || 3.9 || 14.2 || 4.9 || 1.8 || 9 |- player for the buglers 2018–
| 2002 | | 23 || 21 || 28 || 18 || 186 || 72 || 258 || 86 || 51 || 1.3 || 0.9 || 8.9 || 3.4 || 12.3 || 4.1 || 2.4 || 3
| 2003 | | 23 || 18 || 16 || 11 || 125 || 57 || 182 || 62 || 34 || 0.9 || 0.6 || 6.9 || 3.2 || 10.1 || 3.4 || 1.9 || 0
| 2004 | | 23 || 17 || 14 || 5 || 128 || 56 || 184 || 65 || 36 || 0.8 || 0.3 || 7.5 || 3.3 || 10.8 || 3.8 || 2.1 || 0
| 2005 | | 23 || 9 || 1 || 2 || 58 || 27 || 85 || 26 || 22 || 0.1 || 0.2 || 6.4 || 3.0 || 9.4 || 2.9 || 2.4 || 0 |- class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3| Career ! 175 ! 125 ! 84 ! 1641 ! 2380 ! 2023 ! 716 ! 306 ! 0.7 ! 0.5 ! 9.4 ! 4.2 ! 13.6 ! 4.1 ! 1.7 ! 31
Coaching statistics Statistics are correct to the end of the elimination final, 2026. +TeamYearHome and Away SeasonFinalsWonLostDrewWin %PositionWonLostWin %ResultADE20203140.17618th out of 18 - - - -ADE2021715 0 .318 15th out of 18 - - - -ADE20228 13 0 .381 14th out of 18 - - - -ADE2023 11 12 0 .478 10th out of 18 - - - -ADE2024 8 14 1 .348 15th out of 18 - - - -ADE2025 18 5 0 .783 1st out of 1802 -Lost to in the Semi FinalADE2026 15 80 .652 6th out of 18101.000 Total 70 81 1 .464 – 1 2 .333
Notes 1.Matthew Nicks missed the round 8 game against Carlton due to contracting COVID-19, senior assistant coach Scott Burns was appointed interim senior coach in his absence.
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