Adelaide’s 2026 season came to a close with a 53-point loss to Brisbane in its Semi-Final at The Gabba on Saturday night.

The Lions flew out of the blocks with a quick, five-goal haul, and although the Crows cut the margin to 10 points in the second quarter, Brisbane flicked into another gear, putting an end to Adelaide’s finals campaign.

Adelaide Senior Coach Matthew Nicks provided the following takeaways post-game.

Crows hurting after benchmark set by reigning premier

The defeat was a tough one to swallow for Adelaide, as the side was left to reflect on a frustrating end to its finals campaign. 

Nicks said the performance showed the level his side was still working towards as it continued to build.

He said the loss would sting for some time, but believed it also offered a valuable lesson for a developing Crows outfit still gaining experience on the finals stage.

“They (Brisbane) flexed their muscles tonight, (and) it probably gives us a bit of an indication of the work we've still got to do, unfortunately,” Nicks said.

“But it is part of growth for our group. It's a pretty deep cut at the moment with our young group in there.

“They're hurting, but I think the respect we should show for why (Brisbane is) doing what they can to go three-in-a-row, it's pretty obvious their game is at a very high level.

“We felt like we could play for the month, you always believe in yourself, but maybe tonight's a bit of a reality check. It's a long time to play the next game, so this one's hurting."

Contest cost Crows

Nicks pointed to Adelaide's inability to match Brisbane's intensity at the coalface as a key factor in the loss, with the Lions taking control of the game in a blistering opening term.

The Crows coach said his side was left chasing the game after being beaten in the contest early, allowing Brisbane to build scoreboard pressure and dictate the terms.

“Their strength (is) over the ball, the contest. They came out, they took territory early,” Nicks said

“It's finals football, and it took us too long to adapt to that. I mean, when the scoreboard ticks over as fast as it did in the first five minutes of the game, you constantly then chase him from behind.

“That’s when some skill errors or decision-making errors come in, and so unfortunately, the lesson from a five-minute period to say, well, it's going to make it a really tough night’.”

The coaching cohort switched a few things up tactically, including shifting former Lion Callum Ah Chee behind the ball, but ultimately Brisbane’s experience won out.

 “We tried a couple of things, we came out a little different after half-time, we didn't want to continue just bashing our heads against the brick wall,” Nicks said.

“It didn't work for us, and that's can't expect things like that to work for you in finals, so the better side came away with the result.”

A tribute to Club great Taylor Walker

Adelaide’s Semi-Final loss brought to a close the illustrious career of Club great and all-time leading goal kicker Taylor Walker, after he announced he would retire at season’s end.

Walker played 319 games and kicked more than 700 goals across 19 seasons, while captaining the Club from 2015-2019.

Nicks said Walker, his teammates and coaches were all emotional after the match, with the 36-year-old bowing out of the game.

The Coach paid tribute to Walker and everything he had achieved as a Crow.

“He puts absolutely everything into the football club, and it means the world to him,” Nicks said.

“We’re a family first footy Club, he’s 100 per cent family first, but our footy Club’s not far behind. He's got the most beautiful family who are here tonight. I think the emotion (is) he's not losing a family, but he feels like this football Club is part of that family.

“And he did say to our group just as we left the room then, we're not getting rid of him, so he's sticking around in some capacity. I don't know what that is, but it's just been an absolute pleasure to coach him.

“We've had our challenges along the way, he and I, but that's part of that's that's what builds an even higher respect is when you go through challenges and you share your thoughts and ideas on life.”

Nicks also revealed what he said at three-quarter time, which was an emotional address to Walker and the team.

"The game at that point, unfortunately, it was really just 'how do we want to finish our season off, how do we want to finish for this big guy? ” Nicks said.

“I think he was quite emotional at that moment as well. I guess you saw how they wanted to finish for him."

Crows to gain valuable experience from Semi-Final heartbreak

Nicks believed the Crows took huge strides this season, including during the finals series, and said the team would be all the better for the experience.

After bowing out of last year’s finals with two losses, Nicks said the growth to come out of this season was evident and would hold the Club in good stead.

“I think it's nights like tonight, I think it's experiences that we've taken from this season, games where we've performed really well, and our guys get a better understanding of what it feels and looks like when you're at your best versus nights like tonight,” Nicks said.

“We look at it then from a team point-of-view that we still have some areas we have to improve on, and I know naturally as commentary or journalists and so on, we go straight to individuals in different areas of the ground. 

“I think it's bigger than that. I think it's a group getting more games under their belt, playing more football, being on the big stage more often, up against the best.”

Nicks on the importance of sticking together

Despite the disappointment of the loss, Nicks remained confident in the direction of the football Club, with the right people driving the Crows’ growth on and off the field.

“I think we've got a fantastic group of people from our Chairman, CEO, I think we've got a great football department that knows their stuff,” Nicks said.

“We've got a really good young group that are improving year on year - that's our goal to keep striving to take another step.”

Nicks acknowledged there was still plenty of work to do, but believed the foundations were firmly in place for future success.

“There's no guarantees in footy, but I'm confident on where we're at and the conversations that are ongoing with the leaders of our football Club and my colleagues that we'll continue to work together,” Nicks said.

“We have great forward momentum as a football Club, we're building something quite special. We're not there yet, we know we still have a fair way to go, but there's no doubt we're heading in the right direction, and we've got the right people around the Club. 

“I'm blessed to be a part of that, and one of the leaders of the Club, and I'll just keep working, it’s just back to back to work.”