Toast Tex 300

[Go the Guts]

Ch7 did a bit on "Sax Max" tonight. Nice bloke.

Yep they did a story about him being a music teacher at St Michael’s College.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Imagine how many games he'd have played by now if Neil Craig wasn't an idiot.....

 

[jo172]

Wonder how many senior games of footy he's played all up across North Broken Hill, Norwood and the Crows Reserves?

 

[Dirty Bird]

Imagine how many games he'd have played by now if Neil Craig wasn't an idiot.....

130 because he wouldn't have harnessed his talent

Did you not read the article from his dad?

 

[Moonwatcher]

Imagine how many games he'd have played by now if Neil Craig wasn't an idiot.....

Tex was a lazy player as a kid and deserved to be dropped.

 

[Danger in Texas]

Feels weird to say, given he’s almost kicked 700 goals, but he’s underrated amongst the discussion of the best KPFs of the modern era

At his peak, I don’t think I’ve seen a key forward that was as smart and as accurate a user of the ball. He may have lost a step due to age, but you can still see those smarts shine through to this day

Whether it’s this year or next, will be a sad day when he retires

 

[MrBarry]

His best goal and one he probably wouldn't physically be able to kick now. Sublime movement.

 

[radiojake]

It's easy to forget, but back in the days when he was still in Broken Hill, his bigfooty thread had him pegged as a "Scott Welsh

Scott Welsh

Age

47

Ht

188cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.6

2star

K

6.9

3star

HB

2.7

2star

M

3.8

4star

T

1.4

3star

G

1.8

5star

No current season stats available

D

2.6

1star

K

2.2

1star

HB

0.4

1star

M

1.2

2star

T

0.2

3star

G

0.2

3star

" type player with his size and movement

Wasn't really projected to be the imposing key fwd he became

But he was still a kid, I guess

 

[ceebsaf]

Imagine how many games he'd have played by now if Neil Craig wasn't an idiot.....

Tex literally said Neil Craig taught him a lesson and that he wouldn’t be the player he is today without him

 

[Mutineer]

Imagine how many games he'd have played by now if Neil Craig wasn't an idiot.....

Seems his father Wayne backs up what Tex himself has said in the past...

There were difficult times in 2011 as his first AFL coach Neil Craig showed him tough love, repeatedly dropping the key forward from the Crows team.

“He basically said to him, ‘Talent alone won’t get you there’. He forced Taylor to recognise that he needed a work ethic and a defensive side to his game,” Wayne said.

“As much as a lot of people thought he was hard done by, Taylor probably believes Neil taught him the right way to play.”

 

[ceebsaf]

Feels weird to say, given he’s almost kicked 700 goals, but he’s underrated amongst the discussion of the best KPFs of the modern era

At his peak, I don’t think I’ve seen a key forward that was as smart and as accurate a user of the ball. He may have lost a step due to age, but you can still see those smarts shine through to this day

Whether it’s this year or next, will be a sad day when he retires

once he has that premiership medal, he wont be so underrated

 

[jimvic]

once he has that premiership medal, he wont be so underrated

Just love the big fella - when he hangs up the boots The Crows, and the larger game, will be greatly diminished

 

[Rotayjay]

300 Is a huge milestone
Still one of my favourite pics from when he was announced as captainView attachment 2408806

Phil Walsh would be so proud of how Tex has played in the last 10 years since Phil has been gone. Top it off with a premiership, Tex!

 

[Mr_Moogle]

His best goal and one he probably wouldn't physically be able to kick now. Sublime movement.

Shows how much BT has fallen off.

 

[BunjiMC]

Anyone purchase any of the TEX 300 merch? I'm hoping it arrives before Thursday.

 

[jenny61_99]

My favourite modern day player and second behind McLeod of all time. So many highlights. 300 is a great achievement but I’d love for him to be a premiership player too just like our other 300 game players!

 

[Pilchard_Adams]

So few individual accolades for a player who likely will kick 700 career goals. Would be a fitting fairy tale for the club to win the flag this year with Tex kicking 6 and winning the Norm.

 

[1970crow]

Imagine how many games he'd have played by now if Neil Craig wasn't an idiot.....

I still see his opponent getting boundary side and wonder why the hell Nicks isn’t doing anything about it.

 

[1970crow]

Seems his father Wayne backs up what Tex himself has said in the past...

There were difficult times in 2011 as his first AFL coach Neil Craig showed him tough love, repeatedly dropping the key forward from the Crows team.

“He basically said to him, ‘Talent alone won’t get you there’. He forced Taylor to recognise that he needed a work ethic and a defensive side to his game,” Wayne said.

“As much as a lot of people thought he was hard done by, Taylor probably believes Neil taught him the right way to play.”

I Probably agree

 

[Rotayjay]

Anyone got a link to the game vs north (maybe 2015) when he absolutely bossed the first qtr, reckon he even had his jumper ripped open?

I was there - the women certainly enjoyed having his jumper ripped off and we all had a good laugh. The back page of the paper featured an excellent photo of Tex without his guernsey looking like a Greek god, and looking down with contempt at his opponent on the ground. It was like a Renaissance painting.

 

[BunjiMC]

I remember Tex' comeback SANFL game against The Bays, after doing his knee. Pretty cold and wet night but there was over 10,000 at the game. Tex just bleeds blue, red and yellow and the fans ****ing love him for it.

 

[thebirdman 24]

My favourite player ever.

Can’t wait to be there for his 300th, just like I was for his first game for Norwood, then his first game for us against Collingwood.

I think he will have a great game.

 

[thebirdman 24]

Anyone purchase any of the TEX 300 merch? I'm hoping it arrives before Thursday.

I got a key ring and a couple of stubbies with a voucher. It came within a couple of days but I think there warehouse is in Victoria.

 

[glengowan]

He had the projection of the classic 80's/90's Full Forward when he arrived from Broken Hill. The Crows fortunate to take advantage of the NSW scholarship rule in 2006, giving Taylor Walker

13

Taylor Walker

Age

36

Ht

192cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.0

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

5.7

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

2.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

8.0

2star

K

6.4

3star

HB

1.6

2star

M

4.2

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

1.6

5star

a pathway to join the Crows at 16. Debuting in the AFL in 2009 after good form for Norwood in the SANFL, like many, I was frustrated when he was dropped early in his career, but as he himself has often said, he learnt how to play the modern game under Neil Craig. His time at the Crows has had as many highs and lows as any player to have played the game.

There was much talk in the first period of his career that he would be the one going to the Giants. There was frustration he was being dropped despite the talent that was there. Crows fans hadn't seen a young forward with as much potential since Modra. Finally a talent, but he was being wasted! Enter Sanderson and season 2012, the famous "spike". Walker had a break out season and along with the likes of Tippett, Dangerfield, Sloane and Talia, took the Crows to within a kick of the Grand Final. The ease in which he'd kick for goal. The ball would still be rising at goal post height from 50. I guess 2012 was his first real high, and 5 games in to season 2013 was his first real low, the ACL. Crows fans could be forgiven for thinking the worst, having lost Tippett and being hit with severe draft sanctions over the prior pre-season. Momentum formed from 2012 had crashed with a thud, going down to Carlton to be 2 wins, 3 losses and losing our star forward to an ACL in his 69th AFL game.

For his 85th game, season 2015, he would be captain of the Adelaide Football Club. The first master stroke from new coach Phil Walsh. A surprise to many, but no one could have carried the football club through its worst hour and taken it through to the cusp of greatness as Tex Walker did during those three seasons. It is still hard to imagine how hard that period must have been for the club and players. Their coach changing the culture of the club over a pre-season, only to lose his life in the most tragic of circumstances mid-season. At the end of the season they would lose their best player in Dangerfield, who wanted a trade back home. Walker would play his 100th game by the end of that infamous July in 2015 and over the next three seasons, at the peak of his powers, would form a combination with Eddie Betts and the rest of the forwards, which culminated in the Grand Final of 2017. If the Preliminary Final of 2017 was another high point, the Grand Final result and subsequent fall out over the off-season was the beginning of another low point. The Grand Final was Walker's 153rd game.

Walker and Sloane were very much the heart beat of the Adelaide Football Club during the rise up the ladder in 2016 and 2017, post Dangerfield. The loss of Lever and Cameron over the off-season. The fall out from the infamous camp. Poor form and results on field followed. 2018 also saw personal tragedy, with both leaders of the club losing their unborn babies deep in to pregnancies during that year. They would join as captains in 2019 and Walker would step down for the 2020 season. By the end of 2020, Walker had played his 200th and many would've seen it as the right time to go out. His form was average. The Crows finished bottom of the ladder. A rebuild under Nicks had begun. Tex was still a Crows favourite. He would've been acknowledged as a Crows great at age 30 after 200 games. But, there was more to come.

His form since 30. His last 100 games to get to 299, has been nothing short of brilliant. But still, ups and downs. 2021 saw a resurgence in form until a racial slur saw him suspended and missing the last section of the season. Very much like Rankine - Tex was crucified by the media for a dumb comment in the heat of the moment. He isn't racist, but it could easily have seen the end of him. He copped it on the chin and got back. He was close to leading the Crows to Finals in 2023, earning his first All-Australian selection.

To think it is almost 150 games since the last wave of success in 2017. Half a career ago. The best part of a decade playing in a team that loses more than it wins. Like his club, he has picked himself off the canvas and he has one last crack. Most likely his last chance at the ultimate in team success. Perhaps his best chance? He's an experienced cog, in a motivated young team, committed to the Adelaide Football Club beyond the now, unlike the developing playing group fractures during previous chances in 2012 and 2017. He'll play his role, and he'll make sure his team mates play their role too.

He has gone from a Crows great, to a Crows legend, as he brings up game 300. None have played for the club with a bigger heart and none have had to carry such a burden on their shoulders, as many times, as he has. He'll get the accolades he deserves for his 300th, and the will of an entire state for a premiership medal. A great club man and as Phil Walsh saw before any of us, a great leader.

 

[Thrillthorpe7]

Is there any chance of someone within the Vic media bringing up Tex's 300th when discussing build up to this game instead of banging on about a 'feral crowd'? I can't remember such a lack of mention about a major milestone from a star player.