Taylor Walker dumped by the Crows amid AFL investigation over alleged racial slur

Taylor Walker didn’t train with his teammates on Thursday and he won’t play in Showdown 50. Will he be picked again this year? Here’s the latest.

Taylor Walker is being investigated by the AFL.

Adelaide star Taylor Walker faces a premature end to his season after being dropped for the Showdown amid the AFL’s racism investigation.

As the Crows remained tight-lipped about the league probe on Thursday, the club said it had not considered the ex-captain for selection for Saturday night’s home match against Port Adelaide.

Walker has been accused of racially vilifying North Adelaide’s Robbie Young while attending the Crows’ reserves SANFL game against the Roosters as a spectator last month.

He was alleged to have made the comment at the Crows’ quarter-time huddle and the incident was believed to be reported from someone at the club.

Adelaide exempted the 31-year-old from training on Thursday morning due to the scrutiny and situation.

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The AFL is investigating Taylor Walker over an alleged racial slur. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

The last AFL player found guilty of racial abuse was Western Bulldogs’ Justin Sherman, who vilified Gold Coast’s Joel Wilkinson in 2011.

Sherman received a four-match ban and was made to donate $5000 to charity.

Crows midfield coach Nathan van Berlo said he had talked to Walker, who was at home on Thursday when the club trained, but he would not reveal what they spoke about.

Van Berlo began his scheduled press conference with a prepared statement: “I understand there’s really high level of interest in the football club at the moment but I hope you can understand and appreciate that I’m not in a position to make any comment this morning due to the fact it is a highly sensitive and highly confidential matter at the time being.”

He went on to say the situation was not easy for everyone involved.

News Corp understands a number of Adelaide players are understood to have been left very disappointed in Walker’s behaviour.

Walker has been in stunning form this season, kicking 48 goals from 17 games to sit second in the Coleman Medal race.

He is contracted until the end of next year.

There are three AFL rounds remaining.

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Crows players train on Thursday without Walker. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

The Crows spoke about his absence before training on Thursday and van Berlo said the issue was a challenge for everyone at the club as they prepared to face Port Adelaide.

“We had a discussion as a group but we’re not going to go into details,” he said.

Van Berlo learnt about the investigation on Wednesday and was unsure when it would finish.

Adelaide was hopeful an outcome could be reached before the Showdown.

North Adelaide has had no further contact from the AFL.

The Roosters were unaware of the investigation until contacted by the AFL on Tuesday and they were not within earshot of the alleged comment.

Robbie Young (right) celebrates a goal for St Kilda in 2019. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Earlier, Stephen Rowe, father of Crows player James Rowe, was critical of Walker being named as part of the investigation, after he was named in early reports by The Age, in Victoria.

“I’m not going to stand by and have a great man’s character assassinated and reputation ruined because of an allegation that’s meant to be confidential in an investigation that is likely ... I don’t know all the facts ... to be innocent,” Rowe said on his FIVEaa radio show.

“That could happen to me, that could happen to you, that could happen to anyone in the street.

“Is this our new bloody standard?”

The AFL would not comment on “any specific investigation”.

“The AFL strongly condemns racial vilification in the football community and in the wider community and notes that if there is any complaint under the Peek rule it is subject to strict confidentiality throughout the process and no public comment can be provided until a process is completed,” a spokeswoman said.

The Peek rule, previously known as Rule 35, was introduced in 1995 after Essendon champion Michael Long was racially vilified in a match against Collingwood.

It was updated this year.

In June, Walker was one of multiple Crows players and staff pictured not properly wearing masks on a flight back to Adelaide from Sydney.

The AFL fined Adelaide $50,000 for that and it was included in the Crows’ soft cap.

The SANFL acknowledged there was an AFL investigation taking place and would not comment.

Originally published as Taylor Walker dumped by the Crows amid AFL investigation over alleged racial slur