It's another thing altogether to use the knowledge to foil the Lions.
Nicks has been tapping into former Brisbane insiders heading into Sunday's clash at the Gabba.
He's been picking the brain of Callum Ah Chee, who joined the Crows at the end of last season after winning two flags with Brisbane.
And Nicks has had Murray Davis in his box as coaching director for the past two seasons after he was a Lions assistant coach.
"We have got probably a little bit more inside knowledge," Nicks said.
"Murray Davis has been here now with us for a while, Cal (Ah Chee) is just coming in and confirming what they do really well.
"They're the best team in the competition, have been for the last couple of years, maybe longer than that, and it just reaffirms what we've seen.
"So it's nice to have that detail. It's now with the ability to go and actually execute against it.
"They're a really hard team to play against, they have got so many weapons. You can shut down one area, they'll bring another one out."
Ah Chee is a fortnight from returning from a hamstring injury and will miss Sunday's fixture between his new and old clubs.
Half-forward Alex Neal-Bullen is also sidelined with a knee injury, but the Crows will welcome back captain Jordan Dawson for a clash between clubs with three wins and three losses this season.
Dawson missed Adelaide's one-point win against St Kilda last Saturday night after the death of his older brother.
The skipper returns to meet a Lions outfit still stinging from a two-point defeat to Melbourne last-start, but buoyed by the return to form of ex-Crow Charlie Cameron.
The 31-year-old kicked three goals against the Demons, taking his season tally to 12.
Cameron endured a middling 2025 before starring with four goals in the Lions' grand final triumph against Geelong.
"He's having a great year - Â he's up and about, Charlie," Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said.
"He had a tough year last year, but in the end he came through.
"I'm just pleased that he's in good form now. We just need to get a few others in similarly good form on a more consistent basis."
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