Track Watch: The latest pre-season scouting notes and news from Adelaide Crows

In an exclusive interview, Adelaide’s high performance boss Darren Burgess lifts the lid on how a number of key Crows are really shaping up – from Taylor Walker to Sid Draper.

Taylor Walker in full flight on the track. Picture: Mark Brake

Adelaide talisman Taylor Walker is “sprinting higher and running at higher speeds” than the last couple of years, Crows high performance boss Darren Burgess has revealed ahead of the veteran’s 18th season at AFL level.

The Crows’ all-time leading goal kicker signed a one-year contract at the end of last season to continue playing in 2025.

While it is looming as the 34-year-old’s final season for the Crows, Burgess said Walker’s pre-season had been strong, as Adelaide continues to manage its former captain.

“He has had a couple of back issues that we have to manage but the last three seasons he has been carefully monitored and managed and one of the great things about Tex is that he knows what is required to make his body work and prepare for an AFL season because he has had so much experience doing it,” Burgess said.

“So he will be modified and managed through the season where we need to, so far that has worked reasonably well in the pre-season period.

“He is sprinting higher and running at higher speeds than he has over the last couple of years so we feel that he is in a really good space but he will need to be managed and that will be a conversation between Nicksy, myself, the other HPC staff and most importantly Tex.”

Walker is in great shape ahead of his 18th season. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Walker played 18 games for the Crows in 2024, being rested on a couple of occasions as part of a plan struck up early in the season regarding how many games he plays.

Burgess said the Crows wouldn’t have a limit on how many games Walker plays in 2025.

“It is really fluid and you don’t set aside a games number,” he said.

“We have seen with other great players around his age they get managed in training and in games and no doubt Tex will probably fall into that category.”

In an interview with The Advertiser Burgess – who will be the high performance manager for the Indigenous All-Stars for its clash against Fremantle on February 15 – also touched on how a number of Crows were travelling this pre-season.

Riley Thilthorpe...

“When I first came to the Crows he was doing stuff physically that I have not seen players of his size do in terms of his physical output.

“So to see him in the shape he is now is exciting and let’s hope that translates. Obviously he had a pretty tough year last year but he has completed everything we have asked of him this pre-season and it will be exciting for us all if he can complete a full season as to what he can do.

“Because he came to us with such an impressive athletic profile, sometimes you want to put size on players but that impacts their running or agility but because he was such a unicorn in that sense he had this unbelievable agility and speed and endurance profile so we could be a bit more aggressive.

“And when someone spends a bit of time out of the game you start to look at how can we improve their football when they return and the strength and conditioning staff did an amazing job in putting that size on in all the right places and hopefully that translates into a good year for him.”

Sid Draper...

“His speed and agility are outstanding and really exciting to watch.

“He is just learning about an AFL pre-season and he is being managed throughout the pre-season so far.

“In terms of what is really exciting about him it is that agility and quickness, he also has a really good football brain and he is a complete professional. His IQ of what is required both in and out of footy is outstanding.

“So it is an exciting starting point but just like Tyler Welsh and Toby Murray to an extent those younger players they are just learning what it is like to manage through an AFL pre-season.

“We will see how that translates to in-season success but so far it is exciting to see what those guys can do.

“He is fully training and doing everything that we need him to do, he is being managed in and out of training like all first-year players are but he is injury free and he will be involved in all of our match sims so he is good.”

Isaac Cumming has made an impression on Darren Burgess. Picture: Russell Millard

Isaac Cumming...

“Isaac knows what he needs from his body and because he has had some issues in the past with his body he knows what works for him and what doesn’t.

“How we manage it is by consulting with the player, we have also consulted with some really good people at GWS and we are just trying to manage him the best we possibly can.

“But it is a process, a balance between getting the right loads into him so he is ready for a heavy season.

“What I guess many people don’t know about Isaac Cumming is his workrate is phenomenal, his outputs for games are as high as I’ve been involved with so those players are always going to be at risk and he just knows no other way.

“So at lot of the time it is us saying calm down to him and the only way to do that is to take him off the field so it will be a management process because he will be a pretty important player for us so we need to have him on the field as much as possible.”

Burgess on Wayne Milera’s return to football;

“I’m not sure most people understand just how good of a player he actually is. Everyone is so excited about having Wayne back and playing in our match sim.

“He is moving really well, and is slowly getting his confidence back so it is pretty exciting to understand what he can do off our half-back line, his ball delivery and speed is going to be really important for us this year.”

If the Crows are cautious with Reilly O’Brien following Kieran Strachan’s injury...

“It is a good question, it is a balance.

“ROB is really durable and as he has shown over his career he has had amazing durability in games and in pre-season.

“He is important to us but you also have to put a certain amount of load in someone like ROB so he can run out and ruck out games.

“So it is a balance but if I came to ROB and said “you need to be managed in these sessions” I would get a pretty short answer.

“So he knows what it takes but yeah we do have to look after him a bit that’s for sure.”

NEW-FOUND DEPTH PUTS THE SQUEEZE ON AT CROWS

– Matt Turner

Adelaide’s squad is feeling the heat to earn their spots as the club’s recruits and return of key players from injury ensure more difficult selection debates.

The Crows’ added depth is perhaps most notable at half-back, where Rory Laird has switched from the midfield, Isaac Cumming has been touted to play since crossing from GWS, Wayne Milera has resumed from injury and Brodie Smith is seeking to re-establish himself.

Even after featuring in 44 of a possible 46 games the past two seasons and being part of the club’s leadership group last year, Hinge was not feeling secure in his position.

“There’s pressure for spots everywhere,” Hinge said.

Wayne Milera continues to make strides in his return. Picture: Dean Martin

“I’d be silly to not take that on and go ‘how can I get better and not get comfortable?’

“I don’t think I’ve ever got comfortable – I spent a lot of time in the twos early in my career (at Brisbane).

“The boys we’ve brought into the club have been training unbelievably well.

“With that comes pressure on spots and myself, absolutely.”

Milera’s return from a ruptured patella tendon could easily be overlooked.

Much of the pre-season talk has been about newcomers Cumming, James Peatling, Alex Neal-Bullen and Sid Draper, along the potential breakout of Riley Thilthorpe.

Milera went from playing 22 matches in 2023 when the Crows narrowly missed the finals to just three last season but was now showing great signs on the track.

He was involved in one of the most eye-catching plays during match simulation at Richmond Oval on Wednesday.

Key defender Nick Murray won the ball at half-back then passed to Milera who accelerated through the middle of the ground, just as opponents tried to grab him before kicking long inside 50.

“I haven’t forgotten what Junior (Milera) can bring – how explosive he is and hard he is at the footy,” Hinge said.

“It’s easy to look past him but he’s probably happy for that.

“It’s so good to have him back in the main group and see how he’s going, he’s been impressive.”

Cumming, who was sidelined earlier in the pre-season with a hamstring injury, was involved in his first match simulation on Monday and involved again on Wednesday, playing on a wing.

Hinge joked that he hoped the former Giant remained up the ground to open a spot for himself.

“I think he’s going to be a really big addition,” he said.

“He covers the ground well and uses the footy so well.”

Cumming is also one returning from injury Picture: Russell Millard Photography

Smith featured in 15 AFL games last year – his fewest since his debut season in 2011 if you exclude the 2018 campaign he was returning from a serious knee injury.

He played five in the SANFL.

The 33-year-old lined up at half-back for the As on Wednesday, albeit Hinge was with the Bs so he could stand Izak Rankine and develop his leadership with the younger side.

Hinge believed Smith had much more to give at the top level.

“We’ve seen how much of a superstar he is,” he said.

“I don’t really know where that lies with him … but he adds to that pressure for spots and he’s got fire in his belly to put his best foot forward.”

Second-year utility Dan Curtin split his time between attack and midfield for the second time this week as he pushed his case for a round-1 spot.

Curtin played seven games in his debut campaign, starting as the substitute or getting subbed off in four of them.

Hinge said the West Australian looked pretty scary in the forward line.