AFL 2021: Matthew Nicks on Taylor Walker and Matt Crouch’s future
Crows coach Matthew Nicks says he wants Matt Crouch to stay at the club and that the ball is now in the out-of-contract midfielder’s court. All the latest.
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Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says time will tell if Taylor Walker plays again next year but he hopes the former Crows captain will soon be able to sit down and talk with the team.
Walker has taken leave from the club since receiving a six-game ban last Friday for his slur about North Adelaide’s Robbie Young in a SANFL match at Prospect Oval on July 17.
Nicks said there was still no time frame to decide the future of the former captain, who was contracted until the end of next season.
The coach said he had stayed in contact with Walker this week to provide support and keep him updated on how the club was progressing.
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“Sooner rather than later for Taylor to be able to sit down and talk with the group would be a positive and help everyone,” Nicks said.
“We haven’t got a date locked in – it takes time.
“It’s a really difficult situation and thing to talk through.
“My support is there for our entire group – the group is every player and staff member at this organisation, and Taylor is one of those.”
Nicks said the squad had this week shared powerful stories about how and why they had been affected by Walker’s racial vilification.
Adelaide has four men’s Indigenous players and one female.
“It gives a better understanding for those that are a little bit in the dark about exactly how it does affect people and communities,” Nicks said.
“We’ve had some great conversations around ‘where to from here’, how can we make a difference and what that looks like.
“Our group have gone through a really tough time in this last week and they’re going to be stronger and more educated for it.
“When you see (Carlton star and ex-Crow) Eddie (Betts) speaking in the media and the fatigue, it’s our turn now to step up and help.”
Caroline Wilson suggested on FIVEaa on Thursday that Walker initially denied making a racial slur before further witnesses confirmed it.
Nicks said he was unaware of what happened in the confidential conciliation and was not informed about it at all until last Thursday, as part of the AFL investigation process.
“I haven’t asked Taylor that because I hadn’t heard that,” he said.
“Whether I do or not in time will be something he and I will sit down talk through.
“I believe only the executive of the club, in this case (chief executive) Tim Silvers, would’ve known about the (investigation) process that was taking place, and the AFL.”
Walker has yet to face the media, appearing only in a 90-second video apology with Young on Monday.
Nicks said he would have preferred Walker to speak publicly.
“I’m sure at the right time Taylor will step up and talk to the media,” he said.
“In saying that, he’s not talking to the media, he’s talking to the community, talking to the country.”
Nicks said the ball was in Matt Crouch’s court as to whether he stayed at the club once his contract ran out at the end of the season.
The coach said he really wanted the 26-year-old Victorian to re-sign and was optimistic he would do so.
Crouch has not played this campaign due to groin issues relating to off-season hip surgery and the Crows have ruled him out for the last two games.
With Adelaide having told veterans Tom Lynch and Daniel Talia this month they would not be getting contracts for 2022, Nicks said the club was loath to lose the experienced midfielder.
“He’s given an indication he wants to be at the football club, it comes down now to dollars and a contract, and that’s understandable – that’s a player looking for security,” Nicks said.
“We need to now balance out our experience and Matty’s also one of our best midfielders.
“This year we haven’t been able to see him due to his body not quite holding up but we know he’ll fight through that.
“The conversations we’ve had have been really open and honest dialogue all year … and we’re working through that.”
Sloane: I’d love Tex back but it’s complicated
— Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Adelaide captain Rory Sloane says the Crows playing group has not spoken about if they want Taylor Walker at the club next year.
Walker is taking time away from the Crows “to let people heal” after being issued with a six-match suspension for using a racial slur towards SANFL player Robbie Young last month.
The former Crows captain is contracted for next year but key figures at Adelaide have not guaranteed he will see out his contract at West Lakes in light of his ban.
Sloane said whether they wanted Walker back at the club next year had not been spoken about by the wider playing group.
“We haven’t spoken about that yet,” he said.
It was also a similar answer to whether the Crows four Indigenous players, Wayne Milera, Shane McAdam, Ben Davis and Tariek Newchurch, had told Sloane about their feelings regarding if Walker should play on.
“I haven’t spoken to them about that no,” he said.
The Crows captain did say the four Indigenous players had been frank with him with their feedback though.
“They have been very honest with myself, which is all I can ask for,” he said.
“It is very tough for someone like myself to try and put myself in their position.
“So to try and understand this at a deeper level, I would say to everyone is to just have a chat.”
Sloane, who is good friends with Walker, said he would like him to return to the club but said it was complicated.
“If you are asking me personally, in an ideal situation, of course I would love to have him here,” he said.
“But it is not as simple as that and there is lot to play out. It is a complicated issue.”
Sloane said it had “been pretty tough to deal with to be honest”.
“We have a lot of people to look after,” he said.
“That’s my role, that’s Nicksy’s role and the role of the footy club is to make sure everyone is OK.
“Our Indigenous boys and Tex is a part of our footy club so we have to make sure he is OK too.”
Sloane said his job was to make sure the playing group stayed connected.
“The first thing was to check in on the people at our footy club, absolutely everyone and make sure everyone was OK,” he said.
“That has been the whole thought process and my standing at the moment is making sure our group stays connected as possible.”
Sloane said he had spoken to Walker.
“Tex is incredibly remorseful, what he said he owned it. He is incredibly remorseful, he has met with Robbie and apologised,” he said.
“He is working through it the best way he can at the moment, of course I’m good friends with Tex and I care about him but I am also good friends with a lot of other people at the footy club who I care about and that is the balance at the moment.
“Making sure our Indigenous players are looked after but Tex is a part of our footy club to so there has to be a balance.”
Meanwhile the Crows major partner Toyota backed Walker being held “to account”.
“Toyota Australia commends those who called out this behaviour and took a stand against racism,” a spokeswoman said.
“By holding the player to account, the AFL has reinforced that there is no place for racism or discrimination in football or in the community.
“We stand with the AFL and the Adelaide Crows in condemning any racist conduct.”
Premier partner RAA said it looked “forward to continuing our partnership with the club into the future”.
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