Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says his job is on the line if the Crows flop again in the finals.
Nicks, contracted until the end of 2028, says there's pressure to deliver after Adelaide's straight-sets exit from last year's finals.
Asked if he's aware his future could be 'on the line' in a looming wildcard final, Nicks replied: "Of course.
"I have had the best seven years cracking in with this group,” he told reporters on Friday.
"We have made some huge gains and developed as a group. We continue to do that.
"We are in a really strong spot at the moment - we're a chance, be it slim, we could finish third. We could finish seventh and have one of the toughest draws through finals.
“From a coach who has been here for as long as I have, there is pressure on us performing in that finals series.
"When you take a head coaching role on, I think you embrace the fact there is going to be some pressure."
The Crows last season were minor premiers but lost two home finals, not winning a quarter against Collingwood and Hawthorn.
Adelaide hold seventh ahead of Saturday night's home game against GWS with Nicks adamant his current team was "well ahead" of last year's version.
"We are a little lower on the ladder unfortunately," he said.
"But we have been doing a lot of work on what we didn’t get right last year. And under the pressure Collingwood and Hawthorn brought last year, we weren’t able to execute and deliver.
“We have been working on that for 12 months, we come into this (finals series) in a different space.
“But there is no doubt mentally we are up for that challenge.”
Nicks embarked on a rebuild when appointed in 2020, when the club took it's only wooden spoon.
"I came in saying I wanted to leave this footy club in a better position than when I arrived," he said.
"And at the moment we are in a pretty strong position and I’m pretty proud of that. I’ll back the boys in. We will perform.”
