Nicks had been contracted until the end of the looming season but was offered a fresh deal by the Crows despite winning just 10 games in his initial two years in charge.

“There is no doubt it has been a tough initiation starting his senior coaching career at the same time as a pandemic but we have seen growth over the past two years,” Adelaide’s chief executive Tim Silvers said in a statement on Monday.

“There is genuine buy-in from the players, coaches and staff to the relationships and standards that Matt is driving.

“His leadership style is exactly what we need when you consider the evolution of our playing group and he is forging a culture underpinned by people having a selfless approach.”

Nicks, who joined the Crows after stints as an assistant coach at GWS and Port Adelaide, said he was thrilled to gain a longer tenure.

“The whole club is heading in the right direction,” he said.

“We have brought together the right people, from coaches through to high performance, medical and welfare staff, to create an environment where our players can reach their potential.

“Last season we showed glimpses of what we would like to produce consistently in the future.

“And on the whole we saw a young group develop and make some ground on where we’re trying to get to.”

-AAP