This would-be contender’s trade strategy is ‘crickets’. The real plan is simple... but could cost coach

Adelaide’s quiet trade period has come under fire from experts, who believe it could cost coach Matthew Nicks his job, but there’s a clear long-term plan behind it all.

Having missed their top target in Brisbane free agent Zac Bailey, the Crows appear unlikely to add any players of note heading into a 2027 season where they’re desperate to make the leap towards genuine flag contention.

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While Nicks has guided Adelaide to consecutive top-six finishes they have won just one final in his seven-year tenure, this year’s home elimination final over the Western Bulldogs, which was followed by a semi-final smashing from Brisbane.

They appeared well off the pace of premiership contenders like the Lions plus Fremantle, Sydney, Hawthorn and Geelong, going 2-6 against that quartet. The widely-held view among the AFL commentariat is the Crows are an A-grader away while also needing to improve their stodgy ball movement.

Instead the Crows are set to lose two key defenders and a mid-forward, not only failing to bolster their list but potentially taking steps backwards while their rivals sign and trade their way to improvement.

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“Crickets - that’s all we’re hearing from the Adelaide Crows in the sense of bringing players in,” the Herald Sun’s Glenn McFarlane said on Fox Footy’s Trading Day.

“We know Nick Murray’s looking to get out to North Melbourne, they’re haggling over that. We know Jordon Butts is out. We know Luke Pedlar wants to go to Port Adelaide.

“Who are they bringing in? All these other clubs - Hawthorn, Geelong, Collingwood, Carlton, Bulldogs - they’re all getting better. What’s going on with the Crows, in a very important year for the coach’s contract?”

As his colleague Scott Gullan explained: “They missed on Zac Bailey, they put all their eggs in that, they put a lot of money, a lot of time. And then there’s no Plan B - it was just like, ‘oh, hang on. He’s gone?’

“Matthew Nicks is coming out of contract and we know how much pressure (he’s under); remember before the final, the report around him getting sacked if they’d lost. He needs that team to improve, but organic growth? Sorry, I’m not buying it.”

Fox Sports News’ David Zita replied: “That’s what they’re clearly pinning their hopes on.

“If they’re not bringing people in via trade, they must think they’ve got what it takes to succeed, they’re just going to back themselves to get better organically.”

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Instead the panel agreed Adelaide were holding back for the 2027 trade period when South Australian superstars like Will Day and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera could be available - the latter coming two years after he rebuffed the Crows and signed a short-term extension at St Kilda.

“I think it is the strategy,” Hawthorn champion Ben Dixon said.

“Jarryd Roughead now the list boss, he’s just got his feet under the desk. I think he’s just going to save the money because Nas comes out (of contract), he goes back to South Australia.

“It doesn’t help the coach (next year) though.”