First-year Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks insists the battling AFL club is doing “amazing stuff” behind closed doors and that he’ll ensure there is no lingering player angst after more detail emerged of their now-infamous 2018 training camp.

The Age published new details of the controversial Collective Mind-run camp just hours before the side’s frustrating 8.6 (54) to 4.10 (34) loss to Fremantle on the Gold Coast that left them winless and rooted to the bottom of the AFL ladder.

Speaking anonymously, players alleged highly personal information and militaristic methods were used that “petrified” them and destroyed the squad’s bond.

Many of those players remain at the club, although Nicks was an assistant coach with Port Adelaide at the time.

He said he had briefly read the report on the morning of the game but would revisit it and then speak to the players to ensure there was no lingering resentment.

“I’ll talk to them again and ask ‘how are you feeling’,” Nicks said, adding that he was hopeful it hadn’t been a distraction against the Dockers.

“We don’t hide anything. We have great open communication about how guys are you going, what affects them and how do we get them to play their best footy.

“That’s what a coach is here to do.”

This year’s extraordinary campaign is being documented by Amazon, Nicks nodding to the cameras in the post-game press conference as he insisted their on-field results were no reflection of their off-field progress.

“My conversations with our players are about moving forward; you come in and start to talk about the future and where you’re heading,” he said.

“And we’re in such a good space at the moment.

“What’s going on behind closed doors … it’ll all come out.

“We’re doing some amazing stuff as a footy club (even though) it doesn’t seem that way if you’re not within the walls.”