Eddie Betts backs Taylor Walker and says critics don’t see half of what he does for the Crows

Crows co-captain Taylor Walker has been under fire since Adelaide’s loss to West Coast but Eddie Betts claims most of his good work is going unnoticed.

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Star Adelaide goalkicker Eddie Betts has come to defence of embattled co-captain and fellow forward Taylor Walker, saying his critics fail to recognise how he often sacrifices his own game for the sake of the team.

Walker has been blasted by former players and leading commentators not only for his lack of scoreboard impact in recent weeks, but also for shirking a contest against West Coast captain Shannon Hurn.

Betts said the criticism was off the mark, detailing that critics fail to see how Walker was the architect by some of the club’s best quarters over the past fortnight and they missed his contribution in negating some of the game’s best defenders.

The Crows champion small forward said Walker’s task was to zone in on Hurn and intercept marking specialist Jeremy McGovern against the Eagles which help the Crows to build a 33-point lead .

“Tex is in great form,” said Betts speaking on Adelaide breakfast radio FIVEaa on Wednesday morning.

“You can’t play well every weekend but what they don’t see is the way leads on the field.

“He drives our forward line; he sets us up.

“On the weekend, sometimes you have to sacrifice your game.

“They (West Coast) have got Hurn andMcGovern, who like to mark the ball and are No.1 in the AFL in intercept marks.

“Our role was … we were going to be outnumbered.

“We were going to send an extra forward up to the stoppage to get an extra number there.

“We were five v six down in our forward line and we had to round up those two.

“They basically do what they want when they’re back in that back half.

“They watch the ball really well and like to fly for it.

“So what `Tex’ did, he rounded up Hurn and McGovern for the whole game.… if you go back and watch the game and you watch Tex’s leadership and how he set up our forward line it’s second to none.

“He was the one who set everything up. He played his part in not letting Hurn and McGovern mark the ball.”