Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has lived up to his threat to swing the axe, with veteran Brodie Smith dropped from the side that will face AFL ladder leaders Sydney this weekend.
The Crows’ final hopes are in tatters even before their bye after falling to Richmond and Hawthorn in the past two rounds.
Injuries have not helped the cause but they were no excuse for Nicks, who said on Wednesday that “some individuals” had been under pressure for a number of weeks.
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Smith’s spot was on the line last week before youngster Brayden Cook dropped out of contention due to illness.
But the 32-year-old will now make way, 7NEWS Melbourne’s Mitch Cleary has revealed.
Smith, who brought up his 250th game earlier this season, has missed precious few games in his career save for sitting out most of 2018 with an ACL injury that robbed him of playing in the 2017 grand final.
He is now set to line up for his first SANFL game since he was on the comeback trail six years ago.
An extended absence from the team could now threaten Smith’s future at the club, with a 2025 contract offer hinging on a games-based trigger.
Smith will be sidelined on a weekend the Crows are set to regain Taylor Walker and Izak Rankine following injury.
Last weekend’s debutant Billy Dowling will retain his spot in the side.
“In a team environment when the team’s not performing well, then certain parts of that come under stress,” Nicks said on Wednesday on the prospect of team changes.
“Part of that is some of our individuals are under pressure because we’re just looking for performance that’s going to get us in the fight, and that hasn’t changed.
“That’s been there for the last two or three weeks; there’s been players under pressure where we need a little bit more from them.”
Nicks insists there is still plenty to play for against the Swans at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.
“We’re up against the best team in the competition but we know what we need to bring — it’s whether we actually bring it on the day,” he said.
“We’ve got a few soldiers back possibly this week … that brings a little bit of confidence and belief as well.
“We’ve put our heads down and gone to work … and when you’ve got a group like we do you have confidence that they will bring it.
“We didn’t quite get to where we needed last week (against Richmond) but when you come up against the best we know we’re going to lift.”
Nicks had been due to fall off-contract at the end of the season but in March was given a two-year extension until the end of 2026.
Adelaide’s chairman John Olsen last week said he had “no issue” with the extension despite the club’s poor performances.
Nicks, in his fifth season as coach and with 33 wins from 96 games, feels he still has strong backing from the club hierarchy, including Crows CEO Tim Silvers.
“I’ve got a lot of really good support around me and that’s where I’m extremely lucky to have the job I’ve got, the position I’m in and the footy club behind me,” Nicks said.
“I feel that support, especially in times like this where we are under pressure. I’m talking about the likes of John Olsen and Tim Silvers, who are really there for me at the moment.”
– with AAP
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