Crows shut down talk of star key forward Taylor Walker moving to the wing this season
Adelaide forward coach Ben Hart has stamped out Taylor Walker’s plans to play on the wing in 2020, saying the Crows need their former captain spearheading their attack.
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Adelaide has shut down talk of former captain Taylor Walker playing on the wing this season.
After weeks of speculation that their No. 1 key forward – and current leading goalkicker – would be released of the shackles and moved into the midfield, Crows forward coach Ben Hart revealed he would remain the centrepiece of his attack.
“Tex (Walker) won’t spend a helluva lot of time up on the wing,’’ Hart said at The Advertiser Foundation’s AFL Season Launch luncheon on Tuesday.
“He likes to think he will – and he may spend a little bit of time there – but we need him up forward and we’re looking forward to him leading our forward line.
“He's training really well and is looking in ripping nick at the moment.’’
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Walker, who relinquished the co-captaincy alongside new sole skipper Rory Sloane this season
and represented the All Stars in the Bushfire Relief game against Victoria last week, said over summer he’d like to move up the ground and onto the wing this season.
New coach Matthew Nicks said that move would be considered.
But with star small goalsneak Eddie Betts (Carlton) and key forward Josh Jenkins (Geelong) departing in the off-season, Hart said the Crows could not afford to let the 29-year-old Walker – who ranks second on the club’s all-time goalkicking list with 426 behind former superstar Tony Modra (440) – move out of their attacking zone.
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Hart said the make-up of Adelaide’s once-vaunted attack – the most potent in the competition in its 2017 grand final year – was still “a little unknown’’ two weeks out from the start of the premiership season.
“We are a little unknown, to be quite honest with you,’’ Hart said.
“We have (veteran tall) Tommy Lynch, who we know a lot about, and Walker, the two experienced guys.
“Then we have Tyson Stengle, Darcy Fogarty, Lachie Murphy, Billy Frampton, who has come over from Port, guys who haven’t played a great deal of footy, who are pushing for spots.
“So, we’re still a little unsure of what it’s going to look like, but we think we’ve got a lot of talent there.’’
Hart said former Tigers small forward Stengle had enjoyed a stellar pre-season and was poised to fill the void left by star goalkicker Betts, while noting “no-one will ever play like Eddie Betts’’.
“But he’ll be good and (fellow livewire) Shane McAdam adds X-factor to the forward line, which is great,’’ he said.
“Then we’ve got hard workers like Ben Davis, while Ben Crocker, who came from Collingwood, looks like he’s picking up on our game style, so we’ve got a few decisions to make.’’
Adelaide’s final pre-season hit out is against Gold Coast in round two of the Marsh Community Series at Noarlunga Oval on Friday (4.20pm).
Originally published as Crows shut down talk of star key forward Taylor Walker moving to the wing this season