Crows boss considers challenging tradition against Pies
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks is "extremely tempted" to buck tradition and deploy a hard tag on Collingwood playmaker Nick Daicos.
The Magpie maestro has torn the Crows apart in their past two clashes at the MCG - both Pie wins in thrillers, by four and two points respectively.
"One-hundred per cent, we're tempted," Nicks said of the prospect of tagging Daicos in Saturday afternoon's fixture at the 'G.
Last year against the Crows, Daicos collected 41 disposals and 22 contested possessions following 37 and a goal the previous season.
"He is a fantastic player," Nicks said.
"He's very hard to stop, even with a tag, it has been shown that he can beat that.
"But we're extremely tempted."
Recruit James Peatling, who has settled nicely into Adelaide's midfield, appears the likely candidate.
The former GWS on-baller has been increasingly influential in a past month tipped by 24 touches and a dozen tackles in his first Showdown win, a five-point scrape over Port Adelaide.
"We would have a few that are really keen for it," Nicks said of the tagging job.
"We have guys that really love that.
"Whatever the team needs, we have got a group that will embrace that.
"We will see how the game looks ... there's always plans in place for these things. We're not naive, we're not going to stand there and let a guy run around aimlessly.
"But also there are times when you can go to that (tag) and it doesn't work as well as you'd necessarily like and a lot of the commentary can be 'they didn't tag'.
"Well, maybe we just didn't get that bit right."
Nicks has been preaching a weekly focus while putting his fifth-placed Crows (six wins, three losses) on track for a return to the finals for the first time since 2017.
But there's a sense this fixture against the third-placed Pies (seven-two) has long been in the back of his mind.
"There's so many hard match-ups ... that's why they're rated the best side in the competition, or one of," Nicks said.
"There's so many weapons. Their scoring ability, it's not just their small forwards, they share it right around.
"It comes of their well-rounded game though - they defend so well, they're connected.
"I know a lot of teams around the league are looking at them at the moment and trying to work through what are they doing.
"Because their connection is as good as any at this point, going back to when they won the flag (in 2023)."
The Magpies recalled stalwarts Scott Pendlebury, Brayden Maynard and Brody Mihocek while losing skipper Darcy Moore (shoulder) and Lachie Schultz (concussion) for the clash against the unchanged Crows.
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