Once, Taylor Walker was special.
Walker wouldn’t dart through traffic so much as he’d absorb it – like a drunken Scott Pendlebury – attacking the ball with his back to goal and then taking his time, as though a side-competition to winning the game was to see how many players could run past him going the opposite way.
Walker stood tall, back then. He was courageous, as much in his willingness to do abnormal things as put his head over the ball.
He saw passes that no one else did and had the nerve to attempt them and the skill to execute them. The forward with the booming kick who lowers his eyes is a treasure, and Lance Franklin and Walker have been the most prized over the past decade.
Walker was magical with the way he would play with the spirit of a small forward in a monster’s gigantic body. He could kick goals from 65 metres, palm opponents to the ground, weave through traffic, give off deft, no-look handballs, and it all kept with character.
The quiet poetry in Walker’s play hid the quiet disappointment of his career. Walker has kicked more than 47 goals three times in a season, never topping 63. He’s never made an All Australian team and it’s been seven years since he led the Crows’ goalkicking.
For a player who, on repeated given days, can look like Wayne Carey, Walker’s output has been underwhelming. He has been a quality forward, nothing more. He is not historic, and it feels like he should have been.
(AAP Image/Ben Macmahon)
Now the wolves are at the door. Walker, the dangerous forward and subtle pleasure, has been replaced by Walker, the captain who shirks contests.
Walker’s unfortunate moment on the weekend against Shannon Hurn – his Cam Newton doesn’t dive on the fumble moment – was a single incident and sweeping truths about a man’s bravery or lack thereof can’t be extracted from a single incident.
But it was symbolic of the issue that has long plagued Walker’s game: too often, you don’t feel his physical presence in the game, you don’t feel the weight of his mass. He’s too content to dance instead of kill. He is the captain who performs a power stance to the world and then leads a team that gets eviscerated in the grand final.
The Crows have long lacked a requisite amount of violence in their game. They are tough and strong in the contest, but they have rarely played with manic force – instead succeeding with pace, skill and finesse.
This style made them the best team of 2017 until the point they played a team with that manic force and left them exposed and broken on the MCG – from which they’ve never really put themselves back together.
Adelaide’s finesse is a product of personnel – Brodie Smith and Tom Lynch give the team their identity: that pleasant, dashing, incisive kicking style. The team long for more Hugh Greenwood and Rory Sloane – more of that unconditional, menacing physicality.
Walker should be providing that. He’s not, and never really has. He will be remembered as a wonderful player – one who could, a few times a year, dominate a game, and then for the rest of the season be a fine complementary piece, regularly near the top of the league for goal assists and unusual, selfless key-forward highlights.
But now his team is at the crossroads, and Walker seems beyond that – his path is set, and looking back, the journey was complicated, memorable and ultimately unfulfilling.
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Joel
Guest
This is such a brilliant article. Do you remember his game against Freo in the finals in (I think) 2012? Those two on or after the siren goals? He was the incumbent Carey-Franklin. But like you say, fading away extremely unsatisfyingly.
Bangkokpussey
Roar Rookie
I think the problem of Tex is more to do with Adelaide. There is something wrong with this club and it has derailed itself. It is more than just their injury run. The team moral seems to be wanting as many players are under performing and I think it goes deeper than Pike. Maybe some Crow supporters in Adelaide have more of a handle on it.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Dunno ya honour
VivGilchrist
Roar Rookie
Brilliant. Thanks Doctor.
VivGilchrist
Roar Rookie
Thank you for your rational observation without agenda.
VivGilchrist
Roar Rookie
You’re still using your collective minds joke?
VivGilchrist
Roar Rookie
Are you writing in some sort of pidgin?
VivGilchrist
Roar Rookie
Does the English language trouble you?
VivGilchrist
Roar Rookie
and Billbob is a ...
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
He's not a better midfielder than Yeo, Shuey,Redden, Gaff, Sheed or Hutchings. He's not a better backman than Jetta, Hurn,McGovern,Duggan,Sheppard or Cole. And he's not a better forward than Darling,Kennedy,Cripps,Rioli, Petrucelle or Ryan. Familiar with any of those names?
Peter Warrington
Guest
you may have 15 better players at the Eagles. but do you have 16?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I agree they weren't leaders but they were inspirational. That's the crux of what I've said. Pyke appears passionless, no fire, it's all gobbledegook about structures psychobabblin camps. As for Tex he needs to discover some form, he is being carried by the team.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
I think your yellow and black glasses need to come off. Taylor Walker is a better player than Kamdyn because after all McIntosh is, as you say, the 17th best player at the Tigers and Walker is about 15th best at the Crows ATM I wouldn't have McIntosh at the Eagles. We have a heap of better players No place at the Cats,Pies,Giants either
Fat Toad
Roar Rookie
Even from the Power Rangers set?
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
I'd like to see Pyke experiment and give Tex have a crack in defence one day - or on the ball. Take the pressure of the poor bugger and allow him to get some form.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Pavlich was a brilliant footballer - shame he never got to play state of origin for SA. And Walker is a very good footballer that everyone expected to be great. He's 29 - I hope he gets to prove a few people wrong.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Fantastic kicker of the footy - unfortunately everyone wants to focus on Walker's shortcomings
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
I remember these blokes from the SANFL - tough nuts - but hardly leaders. Tex has had the burden of leadership from a very young age and has tried his best. I think people expect more from him than he is capable of. He's not a player who crashes packs - he's more a lead and mark man who has beautiful foot skills, I think he still has an important role to play for the team but he needs support. He can't do it on his own. I'm a North Adelaide supporter first and and an Adelaide supporter second. I feel a bit for the Crows. They did well in 2017 to overcome the loss of their coach Phil Walsh and played some great footy to make the Grand Final but were smashed by a team who would have beaten anyone on that day. It just happened to be Adelaide on the receiving end. History and momentum was with Richmond. Adelaide have lost players to other clubs and for some reason people seem to think that only happens to the Crows. They were smashed by injury in 2018 and have been trying in 2019 but aren't quite up there with the top 5. I'm hoping Pyke and his players can still make something of 2019.
Jason
Roar Rookie
Congratulations anon, That is possibly one of the most ill informed opinions on a footballer I have ever read.
Larrikin
Roar Rookie
Julian , if you love Fyfe so much why don't you support freo ?