After resolving the supply issues in the midfield, the Crows attack is firing again — but does Jenkins still fit at the goalfront?

Crows coach Don Pyke has restored the game plan that makes Adelaide imposing in attack. But does he restore the Walker-Jenkins partnership as key forwards?

Is the Josh Jenkins-Taylor Walker partnership as key forwards in the Adelaide attack to be restored now that Crows coach Don Pyke has returned to the game plan that delivers supply? Or has Jenkins fallen out of favour at West Lakes at the wrong time? This is the backdrop to an interesting selection process for Sunday’s home clash with Fremantle. Picture: Daniel Kalisz

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Taylor Walker is back. Josh Jenkins is in purgatory.

And the question is: Does Crows coach Don Pyke believe in long-standing partnerships between key forwards or system regardless of the personnel?

The answer looms in team selection for Adelaide’s tantalising Sunday AFL twilight clash with Fremantle at Adelaide Oval.

Is the Josh Jenkins-Taylor Walker partnership as key forwards in the Adelaide attack to be restored now that Crows coach Don Pyke has returned to the game plan that delivers supply? Or has Jenkins fallen out of favour at West Lakes at the wrong time? Picture: Daniel Kalisz

Or perhaps it has been already answered with Jenkins’ demotion to the SANFL in the past fortnight. And in a game where the agenda quickly turns to tomorrow, does Jenkins — a member of the Crows leadership group — look elsewhere with his AFL ambitions?

The debate on Jenkins’ immediate and long-term future takes away some questions from Pyke and his coaching staff on their work in setting up a farcical game plan to deal with North Melbourne on the Docklands deck that has always favoured Adelaide for speed in ball movement.

The stop-start game — a massive over-correction to deal with opposition defences intercepting Adelaide’s plays — created just 36 inside-50s against the Kangaroos. And the Crows significantly lost the clearances 19-31.

It was not the ideal set-up for key forwards — and led to Adelaide scoring just 59 points (four more than managed at the Oval against Hawthorn in the season-opener when the Crows repeatedly turned over the ball to the Hawks’ defenders).

A fortnight later — same venue but against a more-confident opponent in St Kilda — the inside-50 count rose to 52 for Adelaide on the back of clearance dominance, 40-28. This is an impressive turnaround while again dealing with the absence of lead ruckman Sam Jacobs (knee injury and surgery).

And more supply critically this change led to more marks inside-50 — 17 compared with nine against the Kangaroos.

A change to the Crows play book — after some critical feedback from the players in that 20-minute debrief after the Kangaroos loss — has resulted in Adelaide scoring 119 and 97 points against Gold Coast and St Kilda in the past fortnight.

The comparisons with the league-leading attack that propelled Adelaide to the minor premiership — and grand final — in 2017 are relevant again.

And there was a telling remark by Brownlow Medallist and Crows board member Mark Ricciuto during his Fox Footy call of the Crows-Suns match: “Josh Jenkins would like to be playing to this game style.”

Taylor Walker celebrates a goal against St Kilda. The Crows co-captain was back to his bullocking best. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

Walker certainly has thrived to a more enterprising play book. The Crows co-captain has kicked seven goals in the past two matches — and significantly contributed to goal assists, as appreciated by small forward Eddie Betts in his 300th game.

Even novice Elliott Himmelburg — with five marks and 2.2 against St Kilda — gained from more opportunity created by a winning midfield.

But what of Jenkins now?

Did Pyke and his match committee turn Jenkins into a “statement at selection” as they did with Bryce Gibbs a week earlier?

Should have they backed in Jenkins — as other coaches have done with their key forwards — while concentrating on the core issue of poor supply from a beaten midfield and poor tactics in reaction to opposition dominance?

What do they do now when the Adelaide game appears to be favourable to the Walker-Jenkins tandem?

Once again selection at West Lakes will be fascinating.

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