Last updated: July 13, 2014



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Port Adelaide

Matthew Nicks the backbone of Port Adelaide's backline

Matthew Nicks

Matthew Nicks gets ready to run Port Adelaide through some drills. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: The Advertiser

IT'S another transformation for Matthew Nicks, who was part of Sydney when they morphed into "The Bloods'' and became one of the most respected clubs in the land.

Nicks, a dashing defender who played 175 games for the Swans, is now central to the revival that has been plotted behind closed doors at Alberton, where a new beginning is being ushered in under new coach Ken Hinkley.

He's the backline coach, having previously worked in development, and he is a one of several central figures in the club's rebuild.

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From the day he came in, Ken Hinkley has talked about building from defence. Much of it is about team defence, what all players need to do when the other mob has the ball, but the pivotal part is how the ball is moved from defence into attack.

A rough guide: Port will not seek to copy Mick Malthouse's strategy of hugging the boundary before switching inboard.

Nor will they blindly seek to go down the centre of the ground, because there will be times when the opposition clogs up that area.

It leaves them having to work with the options that are open rather than being predictable, but it doesn't mean there's not an overriding theme.

Hinkley calls it playing "brave'' football, taking it on  and it starts with the players, who spend considerable time with Nicks.

"The main thing Ken's brought in is that when we don't have the ball and we're defending, it's all 18 of us  not just the back six,'' Nicks said.

"And vice versa, when we have the ball, we've got to take on the game. Take on the opposition.

"I guess at the moment, our No.1 priority is defending.

"Whenever we don't have it, we do everything we can to get it back.

"And then be brave when we do get it.

"You never see any of the coaches get upset if we miss target or turn the ball over while trying to handball it through.

"It's more about the defensive side. If we haven't got that right, there will be some questions asked.

"It's important to know what you're up against but the last thing we want to be known as is a side that's slow to move the ball.

"We want our players to be brave with the footy and take it on.''

Nicks has a chuckle when it's brought up how Hinkley played his football  he was a defender who was keener on attacking than anything else  but it also suggests both Hinkley and Nicks were part of the change in attitudes to backmen.

The image of a dour, accountable, fairly unadventurous type who might leave a bit to wish for in the foot-skills department is slowly being erased when defenders are discussed.

Teams load up backlines with their best kicks  players such as Simon Goodwin and Stuart Dew were deadly from half back  and also want players with enough pace and enterprise to move it along.

"It's very much the way it's been going,'' Nicks said.

"You've got to have guys who can move the ball out of the backline with speed.

"And you need guys who can break lines, and that takes speed, skill and good decision making. We're trying to find players for that position who have all those assets.

"Ken's fantastic in that he's really honest with the player about what he expects.

"It's going to take us a bit of time to jell.

"Bobby and Jacko have played for a number of years together now  and you can see that they really under-stand what the other player is going to do. That takes time.

"But we're quite healthy as far as numbers go.

"We have a lot of guys who can play a role down there.

"We lost some experience from last year, but we've also had guys come in from good cultures,'' he said.

"They might not have big game numbers next to their names but they've played alongside really experienced players and learned from there.''

Originally published as Nicks the backbone of Port's backline