Adelaide great Taylor Walker could be on the move in 2025

Taylor Walker is a great of the Adelaide Crows, but he’s coming off contract and is yet to be offered a new deal by the AFL club.

Taylor Walker is an all-time great with the Adelaide Crows and coming off his first All Australian nod in 2023.

The 34-year-old is also off contract at season’s end and has every intention of playing on in 2025.

It just might not be in the Crows colours.

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Drafted way back in 2007, Walker has played 271 games and kicked a club-record 629 goals, daylight ahead of next best and fellow club greats Tony Modra (440) and Eddie Betts (310).

Walker also captained the club for five seasons before stepping down after the 2019 campaign.

With a fresh contract offer yet to materialise from the South Australian club, which has fallen short of expectations so far this season with just four wins and a draw from its 14 games, Walker could well be on the lookout for a new team.

Taylor Walker is off contract at season’s end. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

“He does want to play in 2025, that is a given,” journalist Damien Barrett said on Nine’s Footy Classified.

“He is yet to learn from his own club, that he’s been at since 2007, if (a contract) is going to be with the club he wants, that being the Adelaide Crows.

“That’s a conversation to be had in the next six-to-eight weeks.

“But if it doesn’t go down the path he wants, I’ve got no doubt that he’s open to offers from other clubs.”

Reliable key forwards are a prized commodity in the AFL and Walker has kicked 17 goals from 11 games this season, coming off a career-high 76 majors in 2023.

If Walker does test the market, it is likely he would have plenty of suitors.

Good times have been hard to come by for the Crows in 2024. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“Whether it is a Geelong, who may want to replace Tom Hawkins for the one year,” Barrett said.

“Whether it’s North Melbourne that may realise Nick Larkey needs some support.

“Whether it’s Collingwood if (Dan) McStay doesn’t come back (from ACL surgery) and (Jamie) Elliott doesn’t come back (from a vascular condition).

“There’s got to be options for him.

“It’s unusual for a player of this calibre and (who is) so linked to his own club to this point, that’s going to potentially be on the market.”

Brownlow medallist and Geelong great Jimmy Bartel is also confident Walker has more to offer next season.

Jimmy Bartel is confident Tex has more to offer in 2025. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

But the former Cat said “big Tex” should avoid a scenario where he is the focal point of a club’s attack.

“If he doesn’t finish up at the Adelaide Crows, which you hope he does and be a one-club player, he does offer a lot of value,” Bartel said.

“The guy can still kick the footy beautifully.

“(But) you’d want to go where he’s not the key forward.

“At Melbourne, he’d probably be the key forward, which is a lot of work.”

Adelaide has its first bye of the season this weekend before hosting the Giants at Adelaide Oval on June 29.