"It's a mental issue" - Matthew Nicks admits Adelaide Crows struggles to cope with weight of expectations 

Adelaide Crows coach Matthew Nicks spoke about the disappointing performance of his team, which faced Essendon last on Friday, April 19th, but tasted defeat (75-78).

Nicks claimed the team's struggles are rooted in the weight of expectations on the players. Speaking of his team, Matthew Nicks said (via WWO.nine.com):

"There's no doubt it's a mental issue. It's one we've got to get right. It does become tough for a younger group to get that balance right and we haven't quite done that this year."

Additionally, he spoke about Josh Rachele making several mistakes in the game and "needs to be better than that."

"He's gone about it exactly the right way. He's acknowledged it. He knows he needs to be better than that. Right now, we're looking for our players to go out and fight and really bring a contest. And so that's what we're encouraging our players to do."

Notably, the Adelaide Crows started the 2024 AFL season with a 54-60 loss against Gold Coast in Round 1.

In Round 2, they were defeated by Geelong with a score of 77-96. Round 3 proved to be brutal for Adelaide as they suffered a loss against Fremantle with a score of 34-69, followed by their fourth consecutive loss against Melbourne in Round 4.

However, Round 5 brought a change in fortune as the team emerged victorious against Carlton, 100-98. Unfortunately, this good fortune was short-lived as they faced another defeat against Essendon in Round 6.

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Languishing Adelaide Crows' next match

In Round 7 of the 2024 AFL season, the Adelaide Crows are set to face North Melbourne. The match is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 27th, at 13:45 AEST. Throughout the season, North Melbourne has encountered challenges with their game.

They commenced Round 1 with a match against Greater Western Sydney, experiencing a loss of 82-121. This fate persisted into Round 2, facing defeat once again against Geelong, followed by another loss against Carlton in Round 3 with a score of 81-137.

Round 4 saw North Melbourne competing against Brisbane, resulting in another defeat, 42-112, and then against Geelong with a score of 64-139 in Round 5. Last week, the team faced Hawthorn but was defeated 68-113.

North Melbourne is still in search of their first win of the year as they prepare to compete against the Adelaide Crows in Round 7.