Kane Cornes doubts Taylor Walker will return to Adelaide Crows ‘seamlessly’

Kane Cornes has expressed doubts about how Taylor Walker’s teammates will welcome him back on his return to the Adelaide Crows.

Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes has cast doubt on suggestions Taylor Walker will “seamlessly fit in” to Adelaide’s playing group after the former Crows captain was involved in a racism scandal earlier this year.

Walker was banned for six AFL matches and fined $20,000 for a racial slur directed at North Adelaide player Robbie Young during a SANFL game earlier this year.

The 31-year-old issued an emotional apology for the comment in a video message in which Young appeared alongside him.

Australia take on New Zealand in the ICC T20 World Cup Final on Monday (1am AEDT) on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today.

Walker was allowed to attend Adelaide’s best and fairest awards ceremony and the Crows have confirmed he will continue in the AFL next season.

Speaking to The Advertiser, Adelaide captain Rory Sloane said he expected Walker to easily reintegrate with his teammates at the club when pre-season begins.

“He has been catching up with all our players,” said Sloane, who has been travelling with Walker during the off-season.

“He has spent a lot of time with our group.

“He will slot in seamlessly I reckon, it will be great to have him back. I know the boys have missed him.

“And he’s looking fit and firing too. He’s had a good break and gotten away and had some good family time as well which I think was important for him.

“I’m looking forward to getting stuck into pre-season with him because he is an incredible leader.”

Rory Sloane (left) believes Taylor Walker will slot back in to the Crows seamlessly. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

But Cornes, who played 300 games for Port Adelaide, expressed doubts over whether Walker’s return to the Crows’ set-up would be as seamless as Sloane expects.

“Rory would be probably the most optimistic person I’ve ever come across,” Cornes told SEN.

“It’s a magnificent trait, Rory turns anything negative into a positive, I respect him enormously for that.

“It’s one of his great traits, but I don’t know if Taylor Walker is going to fit in seamlessly, I don’t know if we can make that call yet, can we?

“I don’t know how the Indigenous players at Adelaide are feeling, I don’t.

“Rory’s been away with Taylor Walker, they holidayed in the off-season to Noosa with their families, and you’ve seen those images on social media, so he’s got a better insight than me.

“I don’t know behind the scenes how Matthew Nicks is feeling, I saw a shattered Matthew Nicks only a few months ago, I saw shattered players, I saw a shattered Eddie Betts and Shaun Burgoyne.

“So I can’t confidently say Taylor Walker is going to fit in seamlessly.”

Originally published as Kane Cornes doubts Taylor Walker will return to Adelaide Crows ‘seamlessly’