Premiership coach Paul Roos says the Crows use of Tex Walker has left fans scratching their heads
He is one of the most decorated players and coaches in the game but not even Paul Roos can make sense of how the Adelaide Crows are using the talents of co-captain Taylor Walkers.
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Sydney premiership coach Paul Roos believes the Crows have left the football public in a state of confusion over where their season is heading and how they come up with their calls at the selection table.
Roos, who now works as a leading commentator on Fox Footy, put his coach’s hat on when speaking to The Advertiser and conceded he, too, was in two minds over the input of captain Taylor Walker and other selection decisions.
It came after star forward Eddie Betts on Wednesday morning defended his co-captain and said Walker had been misunderstood by former players and commentators — among them former St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt — who questioned his place in the side after he failed to kick a goal in the Crows’ loss to West Coast.
Betts said Walker had been instrumental in keeping defenders Shannon Hurn and Jeremy McGovern in check and was in fine form.
Roos could see both sides of the argument but noted the consensus was that there was a level of uncertainty about the Crows.
Walker’s role in the side was known only to those on the inside.
But Roos also noted that the fact that senior players such as Bryce Gibbs had been dropped by the Crows led to obvious talk about Walker’s form.
“There are things that players are asked to do that we’re not privy to,” Roos said. “That’s what I found as a coach.
“When you’re strategising about the Eagles, in isolation, clearly you’re going to talk about McGovern, Hurn and the way you’re going to beat them.
“There are things we’re not privy to.
“That’s not unusual and Tex being the captain and being very visual and a more experienced player he comes under more scrutiny.
“If it’s a (Elliott) Himmelberg who’s asked to do it or a younger player people tend to look at what they do defensively as well.
“What we don’t know is what was said in the team meetings.
“But it sounds like internally they’re a lot happier with Walker than what people are externally.”
Roos could see how there were question marks over the Crows.
The dropping of Bryce Gibbs, a former Carlton champion, made headlines across the land.
“The biggest disconnect that I can see is when you drop Bryce Gibbs and then have other players playing not doing the things that Bryce Gibbs was dropped for,” Roos said. “If I look at is at as a coach, that’s surprising: ‘How does Bryce Gibbs get dropped and somebody else continues to play?’
“Once you go away from consistent standards it’s very hard to be a really good consistent footy team.
“I was talking to some of the Fox Footy crew and clearly there’s some agitation around why Tex is doing what he’s doing and Bryce Gibbs is not.
“Tex is under more pressure because Gibbs has been dropped.
“If Gibbs is not dropped then Tex is probably judged differently.
“But when a player of Gibbs’ ability and profile gets dropped that certainly puts more pressure on everyone.
“Jenkins is kicking six in the seconds …
“I think the Adelaide fans are confused — what our brand is, what our game plan is, why have things dropped off, why is Bryce Gibbs dropped off.
“You can’t pretend to have a level of consistency if you’re not consistent.”
“I think there's a level of confusion in Adelaide around the Crows when you consider two years ago they played in the grand final and were premiership favourites.
“I’m probably in the same camp.
“There’s absolutely a level of inconsistency and a level of confusion surrounding the Crows at the moment given the level of talent that they have.”
Paul Roos is on On The Couch at 8.30pm on Mondays at on Fox Footy.
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