It’s not personal, but the Crows must make tough call on Walker’s future
Taylor Walker grew up in Broken Hill with the dream of being a one-club player with the Crows.
After 16 years as a heart-and-soul image of the Adelaide Football Club, that dream needs to be brought to an end by senior coach Matthew Nicks.
Taylor Walker’s form this year has not been anywhere near what he produced in 2023.
Then Walker needs to decide if he does indeed want to be a one-club hero or find an encore at Collingwood, Melbourne or Geelong or any other club that becomes linked to the key forward.
Nicks needs to make a tough call. So does Walker.
This is not the first time Walker has been tested on his childhood dream to be a Crow and only a Crow. Only last year we were told Walker was willing to finish his career at another AFL club if Adelaide chose not to re-sign him.
Once again, there is this image of the Walker camp loading the agenda to pressure Adelaide into talks on a new deal.
The Crows should stare down Walker’s threats and inform him that this season will be his last at their club.
But Adelaide has not had a ruthless image since Malcolm Blight arrived at the end of 1996 and culled the club of its senior players. Nicks is not Blight. He is a lovely person, a genuine nice guy, but he needs a hard edge.
The decision last year to allow former captain Rory Sloane to extend his career – even though it was obvious to all that Sloane was not in Adelaide’s best 22 – tells of Adelaide lacking that ruthless edge at list management. Sloane failed to play a game this season and announced his retirement in April due to an eye injury.
This is not a callous call based on any bad blood with Walker. We’ve had our share of public feuds. I have received prank calls and abusive texts from his phone, and he has stated on radio how much he despises me. I have been a strong critic, calling out his attack on the ball on the field and, off the field, his racist remarks in 2021 and the handling of that incident. This is not about any personal agenda.
Walker had an outstanding year last season, kicking 76 goals and earned his first All-Australian blazer. He was third in the club champion award, signalling his performance was a driving force for the Crows, who were one poor goal umpiring decision away from playing finals for the first time in six years.
Adelaide started the fifth year of a rebuild believing this side was ready to qualify for finals and challenge for a premiership. Experienced players such as Walker were regarded as vital to achieving this goal. It was a sound list-management decision to extend his contract by one year.
The club could not have anticipated how this script would go so awry. After round 15, the Crows are languishing in 15th spot on the ladder and appear years away from seriously contending for a third premiership.
Like the team, Walker’s form has fallen off a cliff. He’s struggled with significant back issues, missing four games and being subbed out against Hawthorn in round 13. He’s kicked just 17 goals in 11 games with the back injury visibly affecting his performance. His once deadly kicking power from outside 50 is gone and his speed and agility, which was already a known weakness, has been hampered.
Crows coach Matthew Nicks might have to make a tough call on the future of his team’s former captain Taylor Walker.
Walker turns 35 early next season and these ailments usually worsen with age.
When deciding on Walker’s future, Adelaide should look to another veteran forward, Tom Hawkins at Geelong. The Cats’ decision to let their future Hall of Famer Hawkins play at 35 has not paid off.
Hawkins’ statistics this season are similar to Walker. He has managed just 15 goals from 12 games, has been easily beaten by younger, more athletic opponents and now faces a long-term injury that may sadly end his year.
Adelaide must also consider the stagnation of the team’s younger key forwards when playing alongside Walker.
Taylor Walker and younger teammate Darcy Fogarty fly for a mark against West Coast’s Jeremy McGovern.
At 24, Darcy Fogarty needs to be challenged to finally become the player the Crows believed he would be when they selected him with pick 12 in 2017. Fogarty shares similar attributes to Walker. Playing them in the same side is detrimental to both his development and the team’s overall performance.
Adelaide’s future prospects also hinge on another key forward, Riley Thilthorpe, the No.2 pick in the 2020 draft. Thilthorpe has played 46 games and shown glimpses of his potential, but with injury and poor form, he has not performed consistently.
Walker’s shadow looming over these two tyros for another season is not the best thing for them and will hinder the team’s overall performance.
No player has kicked more goals in an Adelaide jumper (629), and Walker has been one of the most dominant personalities to have ever played for the club.
He deserves a big send-off and he should leave the club, and perhaps the game, with a little bit of petrol still in the tank.
His personal interest, public pressure and desire to keep playing should not come at the detriment of the team.
Adelaide needs to learn from its mistakes by being ruthless and prioritising the development of its young forwards rather than fall for the sentimentality of appeasing a club great.
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