Adelaide forward Taylor Walker accepts three-match ban

UPDATE: Adelaide found no defence - only risk - in taking forward Taylor Walker's report to the tribunal tonight.

ADELAIDE found no defence - and just risk - in taking key forward Taylor Walker's report from the AFL match review panel to the tribunal tonight.

After consulting two Queen's Counsels and its tribunal advocates in Melbourne, the Crows and Walker considered it best to take the three-game penalty with an early plea rather than run the risk of a four-match ban at the tribunal.

Walker will miss Balfours Showdown XXXIII against Port Adelaide on Saturday and the clashes against Greater Western Sydney and West Coast as punishment for his lift-and-dump tackle of Richmond defender Steven Morris.

Crows football operations chief Phil Harper today insisted his club had no room for a defence regardless of the emotional pleas from inaugural Adelaide coach Graham Cornes and captain Chris McDermott for a challenge to the penalty.

Harper said Adelaide's three possible points of appeal to the tribunal were all flawed.

"We could have pleaded not guilty but the video shows Taylor making the tackle,'' he said.

"We could have tried to argue the classification level for impact as low versus medium, as on the day we thought the player was not injured. However, Richmond's medical report stated that Morris was injured and is having ongoing treatment, so therefore it automatically goes from low to medium. We can't argue against the doctor's report.

"And the other option was challenging the reckless down to negligent. However, the rules changed this year to cover dangerous tackles and the players were shown a DVD on this earlier this year.

"In the DVD it clearly states that if you lift a player off the ground it is automatically deemed reckless, the same as if there is a double action.

"In Taylor's case there was not a double action but the Richmond player was lifted off the ground.''