Don Pyke says Taylor Walker’s place in the Crows side was not considered this week despite his lack of form
Taylor Walker’s place in the side was not under the microscope despite poor form, Don Pyke says. But the Crows coach says Tex isn’t remaining in the side just because he is co-captain.
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Dropping co-captain Taylor Walker was not considered despite his recent lack of form, Crows coach Don Pyke says.
But Walker isn’t remaining in the team just because he is the club’s co-captain, Pyke maintains, even though it is his “leadership” that is keeping the key forward in the side for now.
After a quiet game against Essendon — in which he only managed eight disposals, a goal and a tackle — there has been intense debate this week as to whether the Crows should consider dropping Walker, who has kicked 29 goals in 17 games this season.
But after his big decision to drop the popular Eddie Betts, Pyke said “no” when asked if consideration had been made to also dropping Walker — backing his co-captain to bounce back quickly.
“Tex will be the first one to say that he is not performing to the level that he wants to, the challenge is what’s causing that and how we can help,” Pyke said.
“Obviously a little bit of that was his elbow but that seems to have settled down and he is ready to go.
“As a captain of our footy club he is an important figure for us and right now where we sit and where our season sits, we are inside the eight by a game we are playing an opposition in Melbourne who are in good form.
“It is a game we need to win, and to do that we need our leaders on board and we have got Tex as a co-captain of the footy club to now come and drive that standard and level of performance we need as a footy club to win the game.”
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Pyke did not get drawn into whether another quiet game could force him to make another tough decision at the selection table, backing Walker to bounce back starting with the Crows massive clash against Carlton at the MCG on Saturday.
He also refuted any suggestion that Walker was staying in the side just because he was the club’s co-captain, but said his leadership was vital to have out on the field.
“He could kick five goals this week and take 10 marks (against Carlton),” Pyke said.
“I’ll deal with the facts not the hypotheticals (about if he could dropped).
“I think it’s his leadership as well as the role he is playing in our team, which is not to the level he wants, but he is a strong leader at our footy club.
“And right now with five games to go and a strong chance to make finals he is in a great position to impose himself on the group and the game and lets see how he responds.”
The criticism of Walker follows the Crows as a whole coming under fire, after three losses in their last four with the only win coming against the lowly Gold Coast Suns.
Pyke said he was surprised at the negativity around the Crows, considering they were still in the top eight.
“I get all the external opinions and bits and pieces but the reality is I’ll deal with the facts I can deal with, and that’s the playing group and knowing where we actually are knowing that in five weeks time if we win four or five games we will be well and truly entrenched in the eight and up to our ears in finals,” he said.
“I find it unusual how we can talk about us missing finals when we are a game and percentage inside the eight which with games ahead which are clearly winnable games.”