Consolidated Taylor Walker thread

[Alex99]

Re: Walker Now!!!

All comes down to the next 2 games, if we loose to Sydney andCarlton then the remainder of the year should be like the NAB with Sellar in at CHF, Walker maybe, try some fo the young kids

Under NC that will not happen until it is mathematically impossible to make the finals and then I cannot see it happening.

 

[SellarStardom]

Re: Walker Now!!!

Under NC that will not happen until it is mathematically impossible to make the finals and then I cannot see it happening.

Probably true, Wlaker just isn't going to get a game, not that I can see from the language. Gill will this week. Tippett is going to be a champ but at the moment the guy just isn't seeing much of the ball and confidence must be getting chot. Bring Gill in for him and play Moran in the Tippett role

 

[Drummond]

Re: Walker Now!!!

I don’t think he is saying they are cheap – but WWT are hardly an AFL side.
What he is saying is that he is kicking goals but he to work on things that will be exposed at AFL level.
So far Port Magpies are the only team to expose his lack of defensive pressure no-one else has had the opportunity because he was kicking goals or Norwood were up. At AFL level everyone from Melbourne to Geelong are going to expose this and it can only be a negative especially with Crows fans as fickle as we can be. I’m happy that he sits at Norwood and kick goals and hopefully improve his other aspects of his game.

Do yourself a favour go out and watch Him play – well worth it you’ll see what people are talking about.

Where is Drummond I’d like to hear his POV on this one.

Taylor Walker has kicked 37 goals in 11 games. Of course some are bound to be cheap but let’s get real here, you need to look at why they are cheap. He has taken a LOT of marks out on the lead in space, and that is mainly because he leads so well and times it to perfection. He likes to make a lead, then run back and then dart off for another lead and by then chances are he would have lost his man. So he takes a lot of uncontested marks out on the lead but that's because of his ability to lead, and it's a skill. He kicked 4.3 on Saturday and had a chance to kick a fifth before half time. That is a great effort against a very strong Centrals side and you need to keep in mind that he was often going up against 2 men because they started paying him a lot of attention. He took a mark at about the 10 minute mark of the first term and was belted just as/after he marked it. The result was a 50 metre penalty and he got put to the line. It was a strong mark and he had to hold his ground as a man came charging in, so chances are he would have kicked the goal anyway. But I guess according to Craig this was a ‘cheap’ goal?

In the third quarter he only had the one shot on goal and missed from about 50-55 out. In the last quarter Norwood probably only had about 5 inside 50’s and Central absolutely dominated possession. Half the time Norwood had no forward line as we went defensive and the forwards all drifted forward. So Walker hardly faded out, it was more because Central started getting on top and Norwood were denied of possession. He also gets a lot of goal assists as he is very clever, has good vision and can set up others and get them involved.

 

[Cap]

Re: Walker Now!!!

Taylor Walker has kicked 37 goals in 11 games. Of course some are bound to be cheap but let’s get real here, you need to look at why they are cheap. He has taken a LOT of marks out on the lead in space, and that is mainly because he leads so well and times it to perfection. He likes to make a lead, then run back and then dart off for another lead and by then chances are he would have lost his man. So he takes a lot of uncontested marks out on the lead but that's because of his ability to lead, and it's a skill. He kicked 4.3 on Saturday and had a chance to kick a fifth before half time. That is a great effort against a very strong Centrals side and you need to keep in mind that he was often going up against 2 men because they started paying him a lot of attention. He took a mark at about the 10 minute mark of the first term and was belted just as/after he marked it. The result was a 50 metre penalty and he got put to the line. It was a strong mark and he had to hold his ground as a man came charging in, so chances are he would have kicked the goal anyway. But I guess according to Craig this was a ‘cheap’ goal?

In the third quarter he only had the one shot on goal and missed from about 50-55 out. In the last quarter Norwood probably only had about 5 inside 50’s and Central absolutely dominated possession. Half the time Norwood had no forward line as we went defensive and the forwards all drifted forward. So Walker hardly faded out, it was more because Central started getting on top and Norwood were denied of possession. He also gets a lot of goal assists as he is very clever, has good vision and can set up others and get them involved.

Thanks Drum as I said I don't believe that he has got "cheap" goals and I don't think Craigy believes that either.

 

[Dogga79]

Re: Walker Now!!!

Drummond, you would be the best to answer this. Is he fit enough for AFL?

In a perfect world, would you let him finish out the year at Norwood and get another pre-season into him. Obviously he is a player of the future, but the only reason I can fathom his non selection would be his inability to run out a game.

 

[Drummond]

Re: Walker Now!!!

Drummond, you would be the best to answer this. Is he fit enough for AFL?

In a perfect world, would you let him finish out the year at Norwood and get another pre-season into him. Obviously he is a player of the future, but the only reason I can fathom his non selection would be his inability to run out a game.

I think his fitness is improving. A few times this year he’s gone off looking very tired; from memory against Sturt he went off at the end of the first quarter after kicking 2 or 3 goals in the opening term and working very hard in the process. But I can’t recall him coming off at any time during the past 3-4 matches so it would seem his fitness is on the improve.

As for his defensive efforts, I think people are making too big a deal out of it. It’s not as though he doesn’t chase, he does, it’s just that he’s such an offensive minded player and he’s always looking to make leads and get into good positions so maybe he doesn’t concentrate on the defensive side of his game enough. I do fear that at the highest level his opponent would run off him at all costs, exposing his fitness and therefore reducing his effectiveness in attack. Look as I’ve said all along, I can see reasons for playing him and reasons not to play him. But as each week passes and I see our forward line completely non functional, my eagerness to see Walker play continues to grow. Craig sounds as though he fears playing him now will hurt him long term, but that I disagree with. I don't think it will, I just don’t think he’d have much of an impact. But no one else is having an impact so he couldn’t do much worse and playing him would let him gain experience.

 

[slinks]

Re: Walker Now!!!

The guys on 5AA asked Brad Symes his opinion on Walker getting a game. Symes said he needs to back up his form in the SANFL at crows training to give him every chance of a game.

I guess this is why Jericho gets a game - great training track player.

Gill probably won't get back in after 7 for north if he doesn't train well either!!

 

[Tails14]

Re: Walker Now!!!

If the AFC was really concerned with his welfare then why don't they diffuse the whole situation and state that he will not play this year and that is the end of that !
They opened a can of worms with Craigys, Reidy, Goodwin, Edwards comments " in the mix " yet now there is so many calls for him to be brought in , AFC is saying that it will not bow to media pressure..... half of it you started and even up till today have not spoken to take ANY pressure off him !
It would be a rollercoaster at the moment with the tooing and frooing from the media.
No he may not be ready....what are the alternatives Jericho has shot himself in the foot, Sellar is not in the good books after an indiscretion, Gill might be suspended, Mcgregor is injured and on top of all of that the piddly excuses used for his non selection are causing so much angst and could it be the GAMEPLAN just aint working !
People have jumped on the bandwagon eg Cornes and Kg and yet have not seen him play !!!!! Graham get a life, promote the game and tell Chad
he needs to miss the rest of the year and no remain a liabilty at Power this year !
Dear AFC put this thing to bed and we can all sleep !

 

[Stiffy_18]

Re: Walker Now!!!

Players need to be rewarded for SANFL form, otherwise it'll undermine the entire selection process.

I think it'd be more harmful for Walker when he dominates the SANFL, and has to accept the fact that Jericho is picked in front of him.

This AGAIN brings up the debate of SANFL form VS training form. I am still of great belief that what gets rewarded is the persistance and dedication to work on your weaknesses. Form in the SANFL is important but NOWHERE near as important as people are making it out to be.

I think you can learn a lot more about Walker in the club training session than you would in a SANFL game. And that goes for every player, not just Walker. The fact is he is facing much greater competition in the competative training run than he is in the SANFL. In the SANFL he will get some good SANFL defender who can never cut it at AFL but when it comes to training he has AA type defender lining up on him in Rutten or Bock or Bassett.

I think what needs to be rewarded above all is the work ethic and WILLINGNESS to work hard on your weaknesses and ability to address those at fast rate.

Now I don't know if Walker ticks those boxes. Thats for the AFC to assess but I just don't buy this line that SANFL form must be rewarded. Its part of the overall picture but most certainly not the most important measure of player's progress.

 

[Drummond]

Re: Walker Now!!!

The guys on 5AA asked Brad Symes his opinion on Walker getting a game. Symes said he needs to back up his form in the SANFL at crows training to give him every chance of a game.

I guess this is why Jericho gets a game - great training track player.

Gill probably won't get back in after 7 for north if he doesn't train well either!!

This AGAIN brings up the debate of SANFL form VS training form. I am still of great belief that what gets rewarded is the persistance and dedication to work on your weaknesses. Form in the SANFL is important but NOWHERE near as important as people are making it out to be.

I think you can learn a lot more about Walker in the club training session than you would in a SANFL game. And that goes for every player, not just Walker. The fact is he is facing much greater competition in the competative training run than he is in the SANFL. In the SANFL he will get some good SANFL defender who can never cut it at AFL but when it comes to training he has AA type defender lining up on him in Rutten or Bock or Bassett.

And that right there is nothing short of disgraceful and it really makes my blood boil. Jericho does nothing at SANFL level so it’s obvious he keeps getting a game based on training and his attitude on the training track. And yet whenever he plays for Adelaide he puts in gutless performances and often gets sent back to the SANFL. While there he doesn’t perform, however he impresses on the training track and gets a promotion to the Crows. And then we repeat the cycle over and over again. Point being? What happens on the training track might be important but what happens on game day (AFL/SANFL) should be of a greater value. I’d take someone who kicks 4 every week in the SANFL and trains on the average side as opposed to someone who barely performs and yet excels on the training track. Something tells me Craig, and you, sees it the other way around which is a massive mistake and something that needs to be corrected.

I think what needs to be rewarded above all is the work ethic and WILLINGNESS to work hard on your weaknesses and ability to address those at fast rate.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on Jericho in regards to this matter...

 

[Stiffy_18]

Re: Walker Now!!!

If the AFC was really concerned with his welfare then why don't they diffuse the whole situation and state that he will not play this year and that is the end of that !
They opened a can of worms with Craigys, Reidy, Goodwin, Edwards comments " in the mix " yet now there is so many calls for him to be brought in , AFC is saying that it will not bow to media pressure..... half of it you started and even up till today have not spoken to take ANY pressure off him !
It would be a rollercoaster at the moment with the tooing and frooing from the media.
No he may not be ready....what are the alternatives Jericho has shot himself in the foot, Sellar is not in the good books after an indiscretion, Gill might be suspended, Mcgregor is injured and on top of all of that the piddly excuses used for his non selection are causing so much angst and could it be the GAMEPLAN just aint working !
People have jumped on the bandwagon eg Cornes and Kg and yet have not seen him play !!!!! Graham get a life, promote the game and tell Chad
he needs to miss the rest of the year and no remain a liabilty at Power this year !
Dear AFC put this thing to bed and we can all sleep !

I think people are reading too much into whats said in the media. We as fans hear it, disect every word and sometimes read into it too much.

Behind closed doors, its a whole different story. Walker would know exactly where he sits. He will walk into Alan Stewart's office every morning and get a feedback on his game from the weekend by the AFC. What he did well, what he needs to improve on, what he can do better and what he struggled at. Walker would have a MUCH clearer idea of where he sits in the pecking order at the AFC than we as fans do.

AFC officials can dribble as much shit in the media as they liked but I am certain that Walker knows where he is at and what the club expect from him and whats said in the media and whats said to Walker might be totally different things.

People at the AFC have been around long enough and are well aware of what the media and fickle supporters are like. They are not going to come out and say "nope, he ain't playing this year". Only then will you get the backlash and the outcry of the fickle lot

 

[Macca19]

Re: Walker Now!!!

Just being devils advocate:

If Walker comes in this week and gets 1 kick and 1 handball like Sellar did, then what?

 

[Tails14]

Afc Website.......walker Not The Answer

I would be really happy if that was me and that is what written on the website of the club I was recruited to and aspire to play with.
What a great kick in the arse !
Where is the responsibilty of the AFC to the kid !
Player welfare obviously does not exist and perhaps that is reflected in the lack of team spirit and enthusiasm at the moment !
Make a mistake..your done !
Make a fist of it and we will publicly humiliate you on your own website !
Bitter taste !!!!!

 

[betterthanu]

Re: Walker Now!!!

Sellar is not in the good books after an indiscretion,

Did i miss something?? I cant recall hearing anything about this

 

[James23]

Re: Walker Now!!!

If the AFC was really concerned with his welfare then why don't they diffuse the whole situation and state that he will not play this year and that is the end of that !
They opened a can of worms with Craigys, Reidy, Goodwin, Edwards comments " in the mix " yet now there is so many calls for him to be brought in , AFC is saying that it will not bow to media pressure..... half of it you started and even up till today have not spoken to take ANY pressure off him !
It would be a rollercoaster at the moment with the tooing and frooing from the media.
No he may not be ready....what are the alternatives Jericho has shot himself in the foot, Sellar is not in the good books after an indiscretion, Gill might be suspended, Mcgregor is injured and on top of all of that the piddly excuses used for his non selection are causing so much angst and could it be the GAMEPLAN just aint working !
People have jumped on the bandwagon eg Cornes and Kg and yet have not seen him play !!!!! Graham get a life, promote the game and tell Chad
he needs to miss the rest of the year and no remain a liabilty at Power this year !
Dear AFC put this thing to bed and we can all sleep !

was this due to the footy trip fundraiser retro day/night?

 

[Stiffy_18]

Re: Walker Now!!!

And that right there is nothing short of disgraceful and it really makes my blood boil. Jericho does nothing at SANFL level so it’s obvious he keeps getting a game based on training and his attitude on the training track. And yet whenever he plays for Adelaide he puts in gutless performances and often gets sent back to the SANFL. While there he doesn’t perform, however he impresses on the training track and gets a promotion to the Crows. And then we repeat the cycle over and over again. Point being? What happens on the training track might be important but what happens on game day (AFL/SANFL) should be of a greater value. I’d take someone who kicks 4 every week in the SANFL and trains on the average side as opposed to someone who barely performs and yet excels on the training track. Something tells me Craig, and you, sees it the other way around which is a massive mistake and something that needs to be corrected.


I'd like to hear your thoughts on Jericho in regards to this matter...

Its not a massive mistake because the competition players face on the training track in competative drills if far superior to what they face in the SANFL on game day. I know you love your SANFL but lets be real here, not many SANFL plays could play in the SANFL. Lets look at the Gowan twins from centrals. Ripping SANFL players but absolute duds at AFL level where they struggled at St. Kilda. Would a young midfielder get a better estimation of where is he at if he played against one of the Gowan twins or train against Simon Goodwin. If I was a young midfielder on the AFL list I know which one would give me a better idea of where I am at in terms of my development.

As for Jericho, as hard as it is for people to believe he has actually improved in the last couple of years. Whether he has improved enough, well thats debatable. I don't know why Jericho gets picked ahead of others but I do know that training form is of GREAT importance in professional spot and not just footy. You will never agree with me and I will never agree with you. Even the greater coaches in sport, a hall of fame coaches (eg Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich) will tell you just how important training form is in the big picture.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Re: Walker Now!!!

Just being devils advocate:

If Walker comes in this week and gets 1 kick and 1 handball like Sellar did, then what?

Then what?!

Read the comments after James Sellar's, Jahran Jacky's and Andy Otten's debuts this year and you will get an idea

 

[earlsta]

Re: Afc Website.......walker Not The Answer

These are the key points that Neil Craig stated.

“We watch all our guys very closely. Taylor has done some good things in the SANFL, but there are also a few things [he’s doing], as an 18-year-old lad in the SANFL, that if I put him in an AFL environment, it wouldn’t be fair on him,” Craig said.
“It’s a quick fix. Me putting Taylor Walker in the forward line next week is not going to fix where we’re going. Clearly it won’t fix that. In actual fact, I could put Taylor back in his development, so I’ve got a responsibility to do that.

There's no doubt in my mind that Taylor Walker is deserving of an AFL match currently.

I have to admit though, if we put Taylor in our team there will be a huge responsibility on him to kick goals...HUGE.
Have a look at young Rievoldt (sp)..he has Richo, Deledio, Brown all in the forward line with him.

Adelaide has nobody.

The solution:
Sit Taylor down and tell him that the Adelaide Crows Football club know they have no #1 or #2 forward in the team currently and that Taylor will probably getting the 2nd best backman from the opposition, this is usually unheard of with 18yo debutants and it is pretty harsh on Taylors behalf. Hence Neil Craig admitting to taking responsibility for playing Taylor. I can understand him to be honest.

Either you play him or you don't. But Adelaide has to ENSURE that Taylor won't be blamed if he has a shocker by playing on the 2nd or best backman from the opposition.

Adelaide should not hold Taylor responsible for this, same goes for Tippett who only has like 16 AFL games to his name? He's already getting the best backman (Playing on Dustin Fletcher in his 10th game LOLOL). Taylor should and deserves to know this if he gets a game for the crows.

 

[betterthanu]

Re: Afc Website.......walker Not The Answer

The guys 18 years old. I think Craig is trying to diffuse the incredible amount of pressure thats being put on the kid.

 

[King Elvis]

Re: Walker Now!!!

Just being devils advocate:

If Walker comes in this week and gets 1 kick and 1 handball like Sellar did, then what?

Then he's slotted into our forward-line perfectly, but will hopefully have a better game the week after that, and a better game the week after that.

Stiffy, I don't remember whether I was critical or not, but Sellar and Jacky were gifted games. Otten earnt his via great performances, and was barely used, and Walker deserves to debut based on his form.

Walker's SANFL performances are demanding selection, simple as that.

And I rate SANFL performances highly; they should be enough for the player to at least get a chance.

 

[Drummond]

Re: Walker Now!!!

Its not a massive mistake because the competition players face on the training track in competative drills if far superior to what they face in the SANFL on game day. I know you love your SANFL but lets be real here, not many SANFL plays could play in the SANFL. Lets look at the Gowan twins from centrals. Ripping SANFL players but absolute duds at AFL level where they struggled at St. Kilda. Would a young midfielder get a better estimation of where is he at if he played against one of the Gowan twins or train against Simon Goodwin. If I was a young midfielder on the AFL list I know which one would give me a better idea of where I am at in terms of my development.

As for Jericho, as hard as it is for people to believe he has actually improved in the last couple of years. Whether he has improved enough, well thats debatable. I don't know why Jericho gets picked ahead of others but I do know that training form is of GREAT importance in professional spot and not just footy. You will never agree with me and I will never agree with you. Even the greater coaches in sport, a hall of fame coaches (eg Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich) will tell you just how important training form is in the big picture.

Speaking of debatable....

And I'm not saying training isn't important, it obviously is and only get more important as we move forward, but I think it’s obvious one of the main reasons Jericho keeps getting a game because of what he does on the training track. And yet whenever he plays he’s soft and refuses to put his body on the line. So what does training achieve in this instance? Proves that he’s quick, agile and is a good athlete? Sure, we already know what, but put him in a competitive situation and on game day and he goes missing. And that is why Craig places too great an emphasis on training because preparation is what he does best.

 

[Drummond]

Re: Walker Now!!!

Then what?!

Read the comments after James Sellar's, Jahran Jacky's and Andy Otten's debuts this year and you will get an idea

For the MILLIONTH TIME, all pathetic examples.

Sellar: On the verge of being dropped to the SANFL reserves. Had kicked about 4/5 goals in 5 games for Glenelg and was averaging about 5 possessions in about 50% game time before he was called up for his debut. Wasn’t even performing at SANFL level and in no way did his form warrant a game. Don’t use his failure as an example for not playing Walker.

Jacky: He too was on the verge of being dropped to the SANFL reserves. Wasn’t finding much of the ball for the Eagles and wasn’t getting much game time. Just like Sellar, his form definitely did not warrant a game. Don’t use his failure as an example for not playing Walker.

Otten: He was one who was performing at SANFL level, regularly racking up 25+ possessions for South and featuring in their best players. Was called in as a late replacement to make his debut in a crunch match and played about 25 minutes. Didn’t get a shot, and as a result didn’t fire a shot. Dropped the next week.

 

[malph]

Re: Afc Website.......walker Not The Answer

The guys 18 years old. I think Craig is trying to diffuse the incredible amount of pressure thats being put on the kid.

Not trying to have a go here, but look at James Sellar as well. In my opinion, the pressure that gets heaped on 18 year old forwards at the Crows, who have never played an AFL game, is extraordinary. If you're not careful, Walker could go the same way . . .

 

[slinks]

Re: Afc Website.......walker Not The Answer

Adelaide should not hold Taylor responsible for this, same goes for Tippett who only has like 16 AFL games to his name? He's already getting the best backman (Playing on Dustin Fletcher in his 10th game LOLOL). Taylor should and deserves to know this if he gets a game for the crows.

Bombers idiot coach Knights was "really impressed that Fletcher beat Tippett"
With our lack of depth in our forward line (no guns) - you'd be dissappointed this didn't happen - no offence to Tippett

 

[Drummond]

Re: Afc Website.......walker Not The Answer

The quote that really concerns me...:

“It’s a quick fix. Me putting Taylor Walker in the forward line next week is not going to fix where we’re going”.

So where are we going Neil? Oh I see, we're desperately trying to make the 8 so we can yet again simply make up the numbers. I think playing Walker is a good example of where we should be going > the future. Another example of his short sightedness. Nope, we're going nowhere fast.