KUWARNA coach Matthew Nicks never feared losing his freshest folk hero when Mark Keane returned homesick to Ireland.

Keane was granted leave from the Crows with one home and away game remaining last season to return to Mitchelstown in County Cork.

Nicks knew the rumours weren’t true.

“‘Keaney’ and I were in constant correspondence when he went back to Ireland, we were chatting right through it,” Nicks told reporters on Wednesday.

“I would have been shocked if he’d gone back (to Collingwood), put it that way.”

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Keane left the Magpies for Ireland amid the COVID pandemic in 2022 and was a late signing by the Crows in January 2023.

He justified Nicks’ faith last September when rejecting Collingwood to sign a three-year deal with the Crows.

Nicks believes Kuwarna’s blessing for Keane to return to Ireland early solidified their relationship and helped the 25-year-old reject Collingwood’s offer.

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“It was an early part of us getting to know each other and building a relationship,” Nicks said.

“You just never know with that sort of stuff, but I was confident he was enjoying Adelaide, he was enjoying the group here and the culture that we’ve built – and I think that’s showing through now.

“To be honest, we were looking into list management and chatting to him over the phone – there’s no issues there.”

“I knew that was going on,” Nicks said.

“We try to balance exactly what it is that we were happy for him to go into and risk a bit of injury.

“But we know there’s a balance between life and footy, and I think he did that really well.”

This Saturday, Keane will face his former club and suitor Collingwood at the MCG.

The Magpies (7-2) hold second spot and the Crows (6-3) are fifth and the highest scoring team in the competition.

“We often get Collingwood in this game and they’ve been really good contests over the last few years where they’ve had the wood on us, unfortunately,” Nicks said.

“I know our group, the teeth are gritted at the moment. I know they’re pretty keen to get over there and go hard.”