AFL Adelaide news: Ending finals drought Taylor Walker’s priority as 250th game looms

Ahead of what he admits could be the last milestone of his career, Crows star Taylor Walker says he’s embracing the here and now as he and his team look to end their finals drought.

Izak Rankine has kicked 21 goals in his first year as a Crow.

• Betts’ advice for Rankine on surviving Adelaide

Adelaide veteran Taylor Walker is treating his 250th match as if it may be his last milestone, but he remains driven by helping the club try to end its six-year finals drought.

Walker will become just the ninth Crow to reach the mark when he faces West Coast at Adelaide Oval on Saturday, joining Andrew McLeod (340 games), Tyson Edwards (321), Mark Ricciuto (312), Ben Hart (311), Nigel Smart (278), Simon Goodwin (275) and Mark Bickley (272).

The 33-year-old is out of contract at season’s end, eyeing a 16th campaign in 2024 and is expected to start extension talks after the club’s round 14 bye.

For now, the key forward is focusing on this week and beating the Eagles, as the ninth-placed Crows chase their seventh win of the season.

“The way I’ve looked at it is it could potentially be my last milestone,” Walker said.

“I don’t know when I’m going to finish … so I’m going to embrace it and enjoy it.

“Selfishly, I’d love to play another final or two or three, however many it could be

“We’ve had a few speed bumps over the last month with (losses to) the Bulldogs and Gold Coast … but I can see we are on the right track.

“I just love footy and want to keep playing footy for as long as I can, but I want to be able to perform.”

Taylor Walker says he is embracing the moment rather than worrying about the future. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Walker has experienced huge highs and lows since joining the Crows from Broken Hill as a 17-year-old New South Wales scholarship player.

Rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in 2013, the tragic death of coach Phil Walsh in 2015, twice being voted the AFL Players’ Association’s best captain, skippering the club to its first flag decider in 19 years, the 2017 grand final loss and fallout, becoming the Crows’ all-time leading goalkicker, a late career renaissance and being suspended for racial vilification are just some of the major moments in his career.

“It’s a rollercoaster for every sports person, whether it be AFL, tennis, golf – it’s not a smooth journey,” Walker said.

“It makes your character, creates challenges, makes you very resilient.”

Walker said he was still learning and growing from his 2021 racial vilification ban, which sidelined him for six matches for a slur to North Adelaide player Robbie Young.

“Football was never my priority when that occurred and hasn’t been my priority in terms of being able to earn the trust and respect back from all the communities and the Indigenous boys within the footy club,” he said.

“I don’t think I’ll probably ever earn 100 per cent trust back, but it’s something I’ll keep chipping away at every single day.”

Walker says his AFL journey has not been smooth. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Walker named former Crows development mentor Alan Stewart as one of the biggest influences on his career and the grand final as being among the highlights, despite the result.

He said ex-Adelaide coach Neil Craig played a significant role by teaching him patience after making him bide his time in the SANFL early in his career.

Walker, who sought 100 tickets for Saturday’s match, said the milestone meant a lot to him and his family.

“It’s good to be able to reflect and think about how I’ve got to this stage,” he said.

“It’s been a great journey and hopefully one that can continue on for a little bit longer.”

Injury fears for star Crow after training mishap

Adelaide star Izak Rankine is still expected to face West Coast at home on Saturday despite leaving training early with an arm issue.

Rankine stayed down on the ground momentarily after a marking contest during match simulation at West Lakes on Wednesday, before walking off the field, accompanied by trainers, nursing his left arm inside his guernsey.

The 23-year-old goalsneak received a knock to his shoulder and neck area, leading to arm pain, but was said to be fine.

“He just got a little stinger on his shoulder,” Adelaide veteran Taylor Walker said.

“I spoke to him just before and he said he’ll be fine.

“Those stingers usually recover pretty well.”

Rankine has kicked 21.17 from 12 games this season, his first at the Crows since arriving from Gold Coast.

The Crows don’t expect Izak Rankine to miss this weekend’s game. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

ACL PAIN WON’T CHANGE DOEDEE CONTRACT TIMELINE

Simeon Thomas-Wilson

Adelaide and Tom Doedee won’t decide his future until the latter part of the year as the defender prepares for surgery after a season-ending knee injury.

Doedee is out of contract at the end of the year and looms as one of the most intriguing free agents to watch the longer he remains unsigned, although the Crows are confident they can keep him at West Lakes.

The 26-year-old wanted to hold off contract negotiations until later on in the season so he could focus on his football and maximise his value with a big contract as the new Collective Bargaining Agreement kicks in and gives the intercept defender a nice payday.

But he suffered a season-ending ACL injury to his right knee on Saturday night against Gold Coast in Darwin.

With Doedee to undergo surgery next week nothing will happen regarding his future in the short term.

Tom Doedee after suffering a knee injury in Darwin.

The Advertiser understands that the timeline of Doedee and the Crows deciding his future in the latter part of the year will still be followed despite his season prematurely ending.

But the injury could potentially cost Doedee big money with the intercept defender unable to maximise his value ahead of his next contract.

In his paid television spot with Channel 9, Doedee conceded the ACL injury will have an impact on his next contract.

“Yeah not the way I wanted it to go and it hurts,” he said.

“But it hasn’t played on my mind as much as people would think.

“I know there was talk after it happened, it’s in a contract year and it is going to hurt his value.

“We will cross that bridge probably a week or two after surgery.”

Doedee remains unsigned but the Crows will not rush a call on his future.

It is his second ACL injury of his career with Doedee previously suffering one to his left knee.

Crows high performance manager Darren Burgess said this would help Doedee in his recovery.

“He’s well placed to attack his rehabilitation, he’s been through it before on the other knee which is unfortunate but in this case he knows what to expect so he’s in as positive a mindset as you can given his circumstance and he’ll start his rehab as soon as his surgery is complete,” Burgess said.