Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks is under extreme pressure heading into Saturday’s elimination final against the Western Bulldogs with his job on the line.

Channel 7’s Tom Morris revealed Nicks will face the axe should the Crows fail to beat the Dogs.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Matthew Nicks coaching for his job in elimination final

Nicks is in his seventh year as a senior coach, but this is only the second time he has made the finals. Last year, they finished top but crashed out in straight sets.

Adelaide haven’t won a final since making the grand final in 2017.

Nicks is currently contracted until the end of 2027 after signing an extension in December last year.

“If Adelaide loses to the Western Bulldogs this Saturday, then I expect Matthew Nicks will lose his job,” Morris reported on The Agenda Setters.

“Now the belief at the Crows is they like and respect Matthew Nicks, they want Matthew Nicks to be the guy, but ultimately they believe they can’t absorb a seventh-straight season straight without a finals victory.

“Now they’re also acutely aware that they can’t take Nicks into 2027 with (zero) finals victory under his belt.

“So we compare his record to Neil Craig’s record, and Neil Craig is the longest serving Adelaide coach as it is.

“Nicks, if he coaches into next year, will overtake Neil Craig’s record at the Crows, and the Crows believe that they can’t have that unless, of course, he coaches at least one finals victory, and that would be this weekend, making this game this weekend simply a must-win.”

Morris reiterated he had spoken to multiple club sources and even Nicks himself when reporting the story.

“This is not my opinion, this is my information,” he added.

“I spoke to the CEO, I spoke to the coach, Matthew Nicks, and I’ve spoken to other people at the club today. So they’re all aware that this is being reported.”

Morris also said other staff could follow Nicks if the Crows fail.

St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt, who played under Grant Thomas in a similar situation in 2006, said the added pressure will hard to ignore for the players.

He also couldn’t understand why Nicks is under scrutiny given they are the second-best performed side (behind Fremantle) in terms of win-loss over the past two seasons.

“I can’t believe that we’re having this conversation. 33-13 over the last two years, second only to Fremantle, and you’re saying his job’s on the line?” Riewoldt said.

“So I understand the point around no finals win, but this is a team that are elite defensively, they’re elite at applying pressure, the players all buy in. Yeah, there’s some ball movement issues, but the playing group believe in Matthew Nicks and they’re buying in from a game plan perspective. I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”

Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes argued that the result might not even matter and the club appear to be “out” on Nicks.

“It says to me they’re out on him,” he said.

“One finals win is not going to change the narrative. And I believe what they’re saying, lovely guy, terrific assistant coach Matthew Nicks, very likeable, players would absolutely like him.

“I understand, but he hasn’t been a great senior coach. So I’m different to you, Nick, I can see this.

“When you look at previous coaches, Chris Fagan won a final in his fourth year, he made a prelim in his sixth, he made a grand final in his seventh.

“Sam Mitchell won a final in his third, he’s now, you know, prelim final last year in his fourth.

“This is year seven, this is year seven and they haven’t won a quarter in a final.

“So I just think they’re out on him. It says to me he’s doomed, regardless of whether they get up over the Western Bulldogs, which they will do.”