Crows co-captain Taylor Walker denies rumours of player unrest following axing of Bryce Gibbs
Crows co-captain Taylor Walker has rejected rumours of unrest among his teammates following the axing of Bryce Gibbs for the win over Greater Western Sydney, saying it “pisses” him off.
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Adelaide co-captain Taylor Walker has rejected rumours of player unrest at the Crows following the high-profile axing of Bryce Gibbs for the victory over Greater Western Sydney.
Gun midfielder Gibbs was dropped to the SANFL for the third time this season ahead of his team’s hard-fought 21-point success against the Giants at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.
The selection call, which allowed Matt Crouch and Richard Douglas to return from injury, had drawn speculation a rift was developing between some players and coach Don Pyke.
But key forward Walker said the intense competition for places was pushing his teammates’ performances to the next level, not creating disharmony within the group.
“We’ve brought in two club champions this week (in) Matt Crouch and Richard Douglas,” Walker told Triple M on Tuesday morning.
“But no, it (the focus) is ‘who’s going out’. It p---es me off.
“It’s bloody tough at selection for us at the moment.
“Something has got to give.
“We spoke about it early on in the week and as the week got later and later, we kept talking about how it (the GWS clash) was the biggest game for us this year.
“We came in yesterday (Monday) and reviewed it and you know what, he (Pyke) said it again, ‘we’ve got another big game next week’.”
The Crows trailed the Giants by four points 11 minutes into the final term on the weekend.
But a strong pack mark and conversion by Walker, followed by a sublime snap from the boundary by Eddie Betts, inspired them to the comeback triumph.
Walker reserved praise for fellow forward Josh Jenkins, who kicked three goals in his second game back at AFL level following a stint with Adelaide’s reserves.
“His (Jenkins’) last two weeks have been outstanding,” said Walker, who also booted a pair of majors in the win.
“I love when he plays with a bit of aggression and some presence, because it makes me feel good about myself and I love playing next to him.
“It’s a great response from JJ and we look forward to seeing him play like that forever.
“It was a great game (and) they’re a great side.
“I thought our last quarter was outstanding.
“We were just able to settle the nerves and kick away.”
The victory, which came a week after another come-from-behind success over Melbourne, lifted the Crows to fifth on the ladder with a 7-5 record.
Adelaide hosts seventh-ranked Richmond on Thursday night.
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