Taylor Walker shares his thoughts on being deployed as a back-up ruckman in the Crows’ final pre-season game against the Suns
Taylor Walker was sensationally trialled as a ruckman in Adelaide’s final pre-season game against Gold Coast, saying it was “a bit of fun”. It comes as former Crows captain Mark Bickley labelled the move a “serious risk”.
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Star key forward Taylor Walker says he didn’t mind being deployed at a back-up ruckman in the Crows’ final pre-season match, despite the last time he played in the role being in his under 14 days.
Walker was sensationally trialled as a back-up ruckman at Noarlunga on Friday in the Crows’ seven-point defeat to the Gold Coast Suns.
Veterans Sam Jacobs (GWS) and Josh Jenkins (Geelong) were traded in the off-season and the Crows decided not to play youngsters Elliott Himmelberg and Billy Frampton to give No. 1 big man Reilly O’Brien a chop out in the ruck.
Instead, it was Walker who was used to pinch-hit for O’Brien, to the dismay of Crows’ dual premiership captain Mark Bickley who questioned why the club would risk injury to one of its most valuable assets.
“Walker’s being put at serious risk there,’’ Bickley said.
“He’s only got to cop a nasty knee to the ribs or throat and he’d be in big trouble.’’
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Walker, standing at 194cm, went up at a centre bounce against Suns’ giant Zac Smith, 206cm, giving away a whopping 12cm height advantage.
He kicked a goal from one of these contests in the forward pocket, after grabbing the ball out of the air, but said Smith was a intimidating presence.
“Gee, I tell you it was a bit daunting when they bounced the ball and it happened to fall my way ... and I’ve got big Zac Smith, (at) 200cm running at me,” Walker said on Triple M.
“All I could see was a big knee and shinguard coming at my chin.”
The decision to go small in the forward line and have Walker as the second tall was not ruled out by Nicks.
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Walker said he quite enjoyed the ruck role.
“I didn’t actually mind it, you get around the ball and up the ground and have a bit of fun,” he said.
“When Nicksy said ‘you might be playing in the ruck this year, I mean week’... I said the last time I played (in the ruck) was under 14s in a trial game.”
The loss to the Suns has left the Crows winless this pre-season under Nicks.
Walker said he was pleased with how Adelaide’s defence stood up at times, but they needed to work on forward connections.
He also said Fischer McAsey and Collingwood recruit Ben Crocker were in the mix to make their Crows debuts in Round 1 against Sydney, while Ben Davis could add to his single game for the club.