Video: Taylor Walker speaks for first time about racially abusing Robbie Young; Erin Phillips worried about damage
Adelaide AFLW legend Erin Phillips has spoken out about the damage someone with Taylor Walker’s profile can inflict on the community with racist comments.
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Crows’ two-time AFLW premiership-winning champion Erin Phillips has described Taylor Walker’s racist slur against North Adelaide’s Robbie Young as a “huge stain on our club that may never go away”.
Phillips, whose brother-in-law is 400-game AFL legend Shaun Burgoyne, said she expected more from Walker and was left “angry” by his racist behaviour.
“We’ll try to fix it but there are a lot of people that are hurt … there is a long way to go to fixing this and to addressing racism and to hopefully eradicating it,” Phillips said on her Mix 102.3 breakfast radio show.
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“I have a brother-in-law, (Hawthorn’s) Shaun Burgoyne, and I have nieces and nephews who are Indigenous and for me this hits home personally because I worry about the society that they grow up in,” she said.
“I worry about someone as high-profile as Tex Walker (saying) racist things.
“I think now it’s more important how we discuss it, how we handle it, how we educate our kids moving forward, I think that’s now our challenge … eradicating this racist comments and having conversations that are beneficial.”
It comes as Adelaide assistant coach James Rahilly says the Crows were focused on supporting their Indigenous players and staff, but added that Walker can return to the club “at the right time”.
Walker is taking time away from the club after being suspended for six games for a racial slur he made towards North Adelaide’s Robbie Young.
The club released a video on Monday evening of Walker, alongside Young, in which the former Crows captain apologised for his slur saying “what I’ve said was racism and it is totally unacceptable”.
Walker said he would take time away from the club “to let people heal”.
Adelaide figures have refused to guarantee whether Walker will be able to return to the club, and play again, once his ban is up.
Rahilly, who worked closely with Walker this season as Adelaide’s forwards coach, said he could return to the club.
“In time we will continue to work with all parties,” he said.
“Yeah I think at the right time (if Walker could return), I think we need time at the moment.
“All parties need that time.
“That’s we are working through at the moment, that could happen as early as next week.”
Rahilly said his and the club’s priority was supporting the Crows Indigenous players – Shane McAdam, Wayne Milera, Ben Davis and Tariek Newchurch – and staff members.
“You just ask how they are going and be someone to talk to, because they are in my area I have become close with them especially someone like Shane McAdam,” he said.
“Mixed emotions, up and down, shock at what has happened, a little bit of anger.
“But now the big space is the education space.”
Rahilly said he understood the issue would detract from some of the good work he had seen the club do.
“I hope it doesn’t set it back, I really hope it doesn’t,” he said.
“When you see the amount of good work that people are doing, obviously it is going to be tarnished a little bit there’s no doubt about that.”
Rahilly said the club’s leaders were working through how they would improve education around the issue.
“It gets back to that education space and we realise that we still have a bit to go,” he said.
“The whole leaders together have sat down to work through it, we are not quite at the end of it we are still working through it.”
Crows boss refuses to guarantee Tex’s future after apology
Adelaide chief executive Tim Silvers says it is still too early to guarantee Taylor Walker will be at the club next season.
Walker was in stunning form this year and he re-signed in June until the end of 2022, but racially vilifying North Adelaide’s Robbie Young at a SANFL match last month had clouded his future.
The AFL on Friday handed the former Crows captain a six-game ban, sidelining him until Round 4 next year.
Silvers said Walker, whose comment was reported by a Crows official, was emotionally drained and would now take time away from the club.
He said Adelaide would work with the 31-year-old and its squad to ascertain how it could reintegrate him next year.
“It’s too early to guarantee that (Walker will play for the Crows again),” Silvers said on SEN.
“He is contracted and we’ve got to work with a number of different people.
“The culture of our footy club is first and foremost.
“We need to get that right then look to reintegrate Taylor when the time is right.
“Yes, we’re going to support him, however this has affected a number of people within our club, some of our past players as well, so we need that time to help heal, understand their thoughts and emotions, and just get better as a footy club.”
Walker apologised to Adelaide players on Friday but did not front the media.
On Monday, the Crows released a 90-second video statement from Walker, which was filmed with Young at Prospect Oval – the venue the vilification occurred on July 17.
Silvers said the club wanted Walker to hold a press conference but he was not ready due to his mental health and wellbeing.
“It’s a tricky one to navigate,” he said.
“When the mediation was agreed, there’s certain things that can and cannot be said, so it’s really difficult to understand if he could and should front the media.
“Hopefully he’ll be able to reset and on his return potentially he’ll front the media then.”
Silvers said the club had brought in independent experts to work with its Indigenous contingent, who had been hurt by Walker’s behaviour.
He said the financial hit from Covid had reduced the club’s Indigenous community programs and it was seeking support from sponsors to boost that area.
Asked if club football director and ex-captain Mark Ricciuto got his words wrong on Triple M last week, when he likened Walker’s indiscretion to casual racism, Silvers said: “You have to be really careful with your words. That (racial vilification) has no place in our club and we stand really strong by that.”
Silvers said the club had the utmost confidence that its major partners would stick with it in the wake of the Walker news.
Walker’s emotional apology for ‘unacceptable’ slur
– Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Taylor Walker has broken his silence after being hit with a six-match ban for making a racial slur towards North Adelaide’s Robbie Young, saying “what I’ve said was racism and it is totally unacceptable”.
An emotional Walker appeared with Young in a video released by the Crows on Monday evening in which the former Adelaide captain apologised for the comment made while he was a spectator at a SANFL game last month.
Walker said he was “thankful” that Young had accepted his apology, and he would now take time away from the club “to let people heal”.
“You’ve shown huge courage and support for me. I want to apologise to you and your family, to the Adelaide official and his family, to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and their communities for the pain, hurt and disappointment I have caused,” Walker said.
“What I’ve said was racism and it is totally unacceptable. I’ve lost trust and respect from everyone and I know that and I have work to do.
“I’m going to take some time away from the football club to let people heal. I’m now going to educate myself which is going to take some time.
“Because I want to be better for it and I want to influence people around me because there is no place for racism in society.”
Walker did release a statement after he was hit with the six-match suspension, along with a $20,000 fine and education, on Friday.
It is understood the Crows were keen for the former captain to apologise on Friday but were met with resistance.
On top of taking time away from the club, Walker is expected to also take a break from his Tuesday morning stint on Triple M in Adelaide for at least this week.
Numerous ex and current teammates have said Walker was either “distraught” or “really struggling” when they had talked to him following the ban.
Walker almost broke down in the first five seconds of the video, shot late on Monday afternoon, with Young giving him a pat on the shoulder.
“Robbie expressed his feelings to me to sit next to me today, I’m so thankful that you are here mate sitting next to me,” Walker said.
As part of the sanctions levelled at Walker, he has to privately address players of North Adelaide to apologise for his “prohibited conduct”.
Walker addressed the Crows playing group, and the club’s four Indigenous players Ben Davis, Shane McAdam, Wayne Milera and Tariek Newchurch on Friday.
Before shaking hands with Young in the video, Walker said he would lean on him and the AFL in his education.
“I’m going to lean on you Robbie, I’m going to lean on the AFL and others around me to support me,” Walker said.
The former Crows captain made the remark about Young to Matt Crouch at the quarter time huddle during a SANFL match last month – after Crouch and Young had been in a scuffle moments before the siren sounded.
A Crows official overheard the comment and reported it to the club, who then passed it on to the AFL for investigation.
Ex-Crows teammate and president of the AFL Players Association Patrick Dangerfield said it was “bitterly disappointing”.
“Particularly as an AFL player, there is no-one that gets more education around racial vilification and the impact that it has on Indigenous Australians,” he said.
Originally published as Video: Taylor Walker speaks for first time about racially abusing Robbie Young; Erin Phillips worried about damage
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