Tex Walker named captain of the Adelaide Crows

i think tex walker will be worst than ever

I remember him being firmly in Neil Craig's camp also. So what's to stop him from backing Walsh? The captaincy? Perhaps. But then again, perhaps not. I don't know what to feel about being so public in recent times, about which players they want to join their club. It wasn't a good look when their top players flew to Adelaide to talk to Boak. And this is the same. I'm not saying they can't put out the feelers. Keep it behind-the-scenes, I reckon.

Yeah but the Crows like Geelong never bottom out, in 2004 Hawthorn came 15th and picked up Buddy, Roughead and Lewis with 3 picks in the top 7 (including a priority pick), West coast between 08 and 10 finished lower than Port including one wooden spoon and a second last and Collingwood just before Eddie took over were bottoming out. Geelong being a one team town get all the focus on them and Adelaide cop it from the media (and internally). In the professional era every team has bottomed out except those 2.

I'm not convinced that the pressure on the Crows is any different to the pressure on WC, Pies and Hawks. It seems that you are stating that the Cats & Crows are under more pressure and demand more of their teams than WC, Pies the Hawks and I don't buy it. Sure, the Crows have had the longest premiership drought of all the clubs you named. They haven't played off for a Grand Final in 16 years and that does add to the pressure but I still don't think that Crows fans want a flag any more than eg WC fans do and that's the point you're trying to make I believe. All clubs, coaches and players are under pressure, some more than others granted but the 5 clubs you named all demand success from their teams. If I had to pick a worst performed out of those 5 clubs over the last 10-15 years it would be the Crows because they haven't won anything for such a long time. You've avoided the spoon nearly as well as you've avoided flags I'd say and if that's something you want to hang your hat on be my guest but don't come over as if you're better than the other teams because you clearly aren't.

they'd only have been mad not to ask Danger if he would re-sign if they gave him the captaincy if they thought he would make a great captain and be the best person for the job. I don't think that he would make a great captain so I'm guessing that they haven't asked that question, at least since Walsh took over.

Great player, but I don't think Danger would be a good captain. He seems to be a bit of a joker and he makes some awkward comments at times. I get the impression from afar that he rates himself more than he should and it shows in the way he acts and talks off-flied and they are not qualities you want from your leader. Good luck to Tex and the Crows.

The ironic thing about the Hawthorn having so many aging stars is that where it used to be a negative, it can now almost be a positive for them. Having Lake, Gibson, Hodge, Burgoyne, Hale and Mitchell all retire within a year or two of each other frees up an enormous amount of salary cap space, which in turns allows the recruiting of dynamic younger stars from other clubs. Winning culture carries on, club bottoms out to the extent that they might miss the 8 for a season, and then back into contention for another 5 years or so. The clubs that were at the peak of the wave when free agency was introduced have done very, very well out of it.

Couple of things on that Paul. Firstly, Geelong have been praised by many with their list management over the past 7 years, especially when it comes to the use of the veterans allowance. Now I know the AFL are in the process of abolishing this and replacing it with an extra $400000 top up on the current salary cap, but I'm not entirely up to speed at where this is at. Now if this is the case, then it would significantly hamper a team like Geelong to retain a lot of it's more senior players, whilst attracting a gun like Danger. If this does not come into play next year, then I'd be certain he is heading to Geelong if he leaves. Secondly, Mitch Clarke is an interesting acquisition, because he is potentially a 900K plus player. Now the CATS won't be paying that amount for him a year, but if he proves to be a quality pick up then they will need to take this into consideration come his next contractual signing. This of course may be an issue if Danger takes up a large part of the cap. Saying all of this, the Cats havve a lot of retirements coming of players in the 700K bracket, so I'd imagine they would be able to accommodate Danger with some clever accounting so to speak. Nothing is certain though, but if doesn't go to the Cats then a premiership contender would be my next best guess, because he is not the type of player that goes to a 'rebuilding' side. My tip if he doesn't go to the CATS is the Hawks. Would be a perfect fit and I'm betting they have the space for him.

I think Geelong will have the salary cap space and they won't need draft picks to give up, they are a strong club and he has said he loves Moggs creek, raves about it. The only Victorian club that might offer more is Hawthorn for maybe a premiership but if Hawthorn start to slide next year and the cup goes to Sydney or Port (or someone else) then the Cats have to be the favorite.

Sure WC are under pressure but a lot of neutrals not from either SA or WA say South Australians are more rabid about their clubs success, look at the showdown compared to the WA derby.

Hard to say without knowing the man himself but he indicated that he would stay almost 6 mths before he was made captain, he's very loyal and wants to stay a one club man and his mother especially is very close to the club. Like I said Jackson also decided and others made a pact on Port's assurances that they were going to lead the club back to relevance, being a premiership captain would've been the last thing on his mind where Port were at. Also ask Dangerfield or Sloane if captaincy is a goal right about now? and Adelaide are a big club. Fitness was one of the chief concerns to players at the time and Port out bid the Crows for the services of a man that almost any professional sporting organization on the planet wanted, Darren Burgess is and was not an unknown quantity.

You don't think West Coast are under pressure? Similar to the Crows, they're the usual top dog in town being usurped by their noisy neighbours, and you better believe that they're not happy about it. Anyways, if players want a low pressure captaincy gig, there's always the Lions. Most people in this city don't even know or care who Jed Adcock is.

Do you think there's a chance he could wind up at another Victorian club, or once he crosses the border is his only destination Pivot City?

You can't honestly say the allure of becoming captain of an AFL team isn't tempting for some? If I'm right and indeed some do find this important, then the offering of captaincy has currency and hence persuasive power. Travis Boak clearly felt comfortable that Port were heading in the right direction and had recruited appropriately both on and off the field - otherwise I'm sure he would have left. However, there is no way he could have felt certain of his future as just a player, because Hinkley was not even a third option for most clubs and it's their jobs to scout for the best talent to lead the club. Now if most clubs in the AFL (including the Port years before hand) didn't see the potential of Hinkely, then I doubt Boak did either. Most of the other talent brought in was also of unknown quantity and to their credit it has worked out well thus far. Personally, if Boak wasn't given the captaincy, I doubt he would be at the Power as we speak. I think he relished the opportunity to become captain and for me there s no bigger honour in the AFL than becoming a premiership winning captain. That is the ultimate and my favourite part of every AFL season is watching the coach and captain hold the holy grail of Australian sport aloft with all the confetti exploding in the back ground. What a feeling that must be and it is priceless - truly priceless.

"I’m sure Adelaide probably asked him if he’d re-sign this off season if they made him captain, they’d be mad not to. The fact he’s not captain this year means he said no. Again, all speculation." Exactly, which is why many will speculate he won't be there next year - including myself.

There was better options than Van Berlo too (Rutten), Trying to take prejudices out of it I think the AFC is so big in this city that players find captaincy a daunting task. The pressure on that club is huge, if Adelaide had sunk to the depths that Port did there would've been riots in the streets. Even the Eagles, Collingwood and Hawthorn have sunk that low but Adelaide and Geelong don't because of those pressures.

The responsibility and no injuries might have Tex realise his potential in 2015.

Media-wise you are on the money but that's not how it sounds around his leadership at the club.

I suppose the difference is Boak would have been promised the captaincy once he committed to re-signing with the club, whereas Dangerfield has made it clear he's not signing anything yet, so offering him the captaincy this year would be a purely speculative gesture. I'm sure Adelaide probably asked him if he'd re-sign this off season if they made him captain, they'd be mad not to. The fact he's not captain this year means he said no. Again, all speculation.

Travis was always slated as a future captain but also wanted assurances that Port would become more pro active in getting themselves out of the quagmire. Darren Burgess was signed not long after and with Kochie and then Hinkley and Richardson bought on board those assurances were met very quickly, remember Trengove also signed on at the same time as Boak as he a fellow Victorian also had concerns. This talk of being bribed by captaincy is silly as why would he be a captain of a club going no where when he could've left if he really wanted to, it's only a mantle, him and Jackson wanted to lead the club back where we belong.