The inside story of Taylor Walker’s incredible start to the 2021 season
Taylor Walker’s start to the year is the story of the 2021 season. So why is the 30-year-old enjoying one of the great resurgences in AFL history?
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The AFL world cannot stop talking about Tex.
His remarkable resurgence is one of the stories so far of the 2021 season, one many believed would be his last.
Rival fans had taken delight in Walker’s lean years since the 2017 Grand Final loss. From 2017 until 2020, Walker’s average sank under two goals a game – the first time it had been that low since his second season in 2010.
Many had written him off. Too old. Too slow. Finished. Washed-up.
Even Walker was unsure where he sat going into 2021 – despite having a year still to run on his contract.
Crows senior coach Matthew Nicks had other ideas.
“He’s an incredibly valuable member of our team and he will be next year,” said Nicks in August, confirming he had rang the former club captain to reinforce his value to the Crows.
“It will be an interesting season for him, because he wants to leave a legacy at this club – and he will – but it’s how he goes about that into next year.
“He’s got some amazing young players coming through underneath him, but he’s an incredible role model. He’ll be a very important part of next year.”
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But surely Nicks couldn’t have predicted what the former Crows captain has produced so far in 2021?
Three rounds into the season and Walker is leading the Coleman Medal race with 17 goals already.
If he keeps this pace up, and plays every week, Walker would kick his 100th goal in Round 19.
But it just isn’t on the goal kicking front where Walker is shining.
He is averaging over 18 disposals a game, his best ever, 7.3 marks and over 2.5 tackles.
So, why at 30-years-old, is Walker enjoying one of the great resurgences the AFL has seen in years?
It’s a question his teammates are getting asked about all the time.
“I’m stoked for Tex, after the 2017 Grand Final he copped a bit of slack and he has for the last two years and it is great to see him performing and standing up,” Crows defender Jake Kelly said.
“Someone asked me that a few days ago and I actually don’t know the reason why he is dominating the competition at the moment.”
While Nicks continues to maintain Walker’s resurgence is largely down to the Crows playing a lot better than they were in 2020, there are two schools of thought as to why Tex is lighting up the competition.
The first, is that the new man on the mark rules and the space created by this is suiting Walker to a tee.
It is an argument strengthened by Josh Bruce’s 10 goals against North Melbourne and Harry McKay’s seven when facing Fremantle, leading to calls that the key forward is back.
But Adelaide forward coach James Rahilly, who joined the club from Geelong, told the Sunday Mail while this has helped Walker it is too simplistic to say this was the only reason.
“It definitely helped in Round 1 against Geelong (Walker kicked five goals), the way we were able to move the ball and the way Tex was able to move on his opponent and lead up on the ball was great,” he said.
“But then the Sydney game (six goals for Walker) was more about his pressure and his ability to get after and hunt the opposition and I think he got four holding the balls in our forward 50 which resulted in scores.
“And then the third game against Gold Coast (six goals) was probably more his contested marking (he had nine marks for the game).
“It wasn’t really free-flowing ball movement, maybe one or two, but most of them were just quick kicks where he was able to beat his opponent one-on-one or one-on-two in one instance.
“He has been strong in all facets of the game and that is what I’m pleased with as a coach.”
So if the rule changes are having a small impact on Walker’s resurgence according to a man who watches him extremely closely then what else is contributing?
The second factor pinpointed for Walker’s red-hot start to the season is that his body is in great nick.
This appears to have some merit, especially with Walker telling the Sunday Mail in pre-season that the knee injury that looked to restrict him at times in 2020 was behind him
“I had a little bit of knee soreness, but I’m good as I can be and I’m looking forward to having a good year,” he said.
“(I) still sneak in a couple of chockie almonds and raspberry chocolates, but I just have to be as light as I can be, play at the weight I did last year and you just have to look after your body.
“The thing I’m going to focus on (is), I’m going to be proactive in my recovery, looking after my body rather than being reactive.”
Adelaide senior assistant coach Scott Burns said on Friday he thought this was contributing.
“No matter where we have been at in our careers when you have played 14 or 15 years of senior footy and you are at 30 plus there are always doubts in your head,” he said on SEN SA.
“But most of those doubts are about where your body is at and if you can have a good pre-season like Tex had and get that really good base and you still have that experience and understanding of the game and the form comes back.”
Rahilly agreed.
“I think he is a little bit fitter than he has been, I think his body has held up a little bit better,” Rahilly said.
“Not compared to last but he has spoken about how he is feeling and he does have pretty good agility for a big man, I’ve always looked from afar and he has great footwork.
“And even though the game has opened up it is still crucial for your key forward to have that good footwork to work your opponent over.
“It looks very easy on the broadcast vision when he leads up on the ball or works his opponents over one-on-one but the work before that has been great and the effort he puts into before the ball comes and he gets himself in a great position to attack the footy.”
And it may not just be his body in a great space.
No longer captain, and having to deal with all the things that come with that, Walker is also loving fatherhood with two young kids (Hugo and Louis).
“He’s in a good space, mentally in a really good space,” Nicks said.
Rahilly said Walker was being rewarded for the “effort he puts into other people”.
“One thing I didn’t know coming to Adelaide for the first time was how much Tex does for the town,” he said.
“I think he is in a good place, he just had another young bub he’s got two kids now that he is loving and devotes a lot of time to when he is away from the club but also he devotes a lot of time to good causes.
“He is getting reward for all the effort his puts into other people and his teammates are helping him playing some good footy.”
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