Adelaide captain Taylor Walker said Melbourne made Crows ‘look like schoolboys’

INJURED Adelaide captain Taylor Walker says the Crows will seek to answer the “million dollar question” of what went wrong in its Melbourne mauling in Alice Springs on Sunday during a team review today.

Jesse Hogan of the Demons is congratulated by Jack Viney and Nathan Jones after kicking a goal against the Crows at Traeger Park in Alice Springs. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images 'They didn’t even try'

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INJURED Crows captain Taylor Walker says Melbourne made his team look like “schoolboys” on Sunday and he felt as much a part of the loss watching from the couch at home as his teammates.

Walker did not make the trip to Alice Springs and missed the 91-point loss while he rebuilds his fitness and physical conditioning for a hopeful return against Hawthorn before the bye.

Melbourne’s Nathan Jones fires off a handball in front of Adelaide’s Wayne Milera during Sunday’s thrashing in Alice Springs. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images

Adelaide will review the game as a team on Tuesday and Walker said what went wrong was the “million dollar question”.

“You want the footy club to win and on the day we were very poor across all areas,” Walker told Triple M radio on his weekly segment.

“Melbourne moved the ball really well and hunted … they made us look like schoolboys.

“You pay your membership and sponsorship and want better than that.

“I felt like I was in that circle (with coach Don Pyke’s stare at three quarter time) it was very very powerful.”

But Walker defended suggestions there was a pattern emerging at Adelaide that when the ship went down they were unable to stop it following heavy losses to North Melbourne, Collingwood, Richmond and Melbourne in the past two seasons.

“If it doesn’t happen again that’s four out of 50, out of two seasons,” he said.

Jake Melksham of the Demons kicks a goal in front of David Mackay. Picture: AAP Image/Mark Brake

“I’ve been saying it for a long time, this competition is so ruthless and if you’re five per cent off you’re in trouble.

“Good teams respond and we have got some work to do in that area.”

The Crows play GWS at Adelaide Oval in a twilight fixture on Sunday.

Walker said he was “getting close” to 100 per cent and was still aiming to return against Hawthorn in Round 13.

Fellow injured stars Rory Sloane and Brodie Smith were running and progressing well.

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