Has the AFL world overrated Taylor Walker?

[The Swert]

In the past month he's played his worst two matches since 2012 (based on SC points).

He should improve. But will always be inconsistent.

 

[BlackSwan0512]

Technically. Tex has 1 x 60+ and 1 at 59

The 59 came in a year
Lynch 33
Betts 63
Jenkins 46

Nice return for a team with such an even spread.

All that tells me in that Adelaide have a heap of F50 entries and he should've probably kicked more given the hype that surrounds him. Kennedy has Le Cras and Darling as opposition for goals yet regularly out scores them.

You need to take your biased lenses out and realise that on playing ability, no one would take Walker over Cameron. Cameron is a star already and is a few years younger. One of Cameron's 60 goal seasons came when he was a 20yo in a bottom 4 team. Incredible.

 

[FyfeToAdelaide]

Sets up so many goals...

 

[Scotland]

Averaging 15 touches, 6 marks and just under 3 goals a game for the year, and leads the comp in goal assists.

Going OK I would have thought. On track for 60 goals which would have him in the top 5 most years.

 

[Jarman3]

Wouldn't have been anywhere near AA before Rd 7 - Kennedy, Cameron and Franklin all commanding KPF positions with Nick Riewoldt and Tom Lynch also in contention.

How do you put Franklin ahead of Walker after 6 rounds? At that stage of the season, Walker had 18 goals to Franklin's 14, and that's despite Walker missing round 1 with injury.

He's had a couple of stinkers since then - particularly against the Kangaroos (who didn't that day?) and Dockers. But in that early time frame you're talking about, he was comfortably ahead of Franklin.

 

[Scotland]

Did I miss some hype?

I'd say he's pretty under-hyped compared to million dollar Lynch, million dollar Daniher, actual million dollar Franklin etc.

 

[BlackSwan0512]

Averaging 15 touches, 6 marks and just under 3 goals a game for the year, and leads the comp in goal assists.

Going OK I would have thought. On track for 60 goals which would have him in the top 5 most years.

This is over the course of his career though. Koschitzke had 4 games where he looked like Wayne Carey trained by Stephen Dank.

There's no doubt he is having a good season but his reputation definitely proceeds him

 

[BlackSwan0512]

Did I miss some hype?

I'd say he's pretty under-hyped compared to million dollar Lynch, million dollar Daniher, actual million dollar Franklin etc.

Lynch and Danniher aren't on a million though.

Please try to stick with facts and don't derail the debate with fantasy thoughts

 

[nerRADIAN]

He missed a game due to injury, if you rate the coleman by goals per game (which you should have), you’d see he’s on par with reiwoldt, hawkins and co. 2.77-2.8 goals per game. Where he is better than other key forwards is his goal assists, he’s 1st in the comp right now with 1.8 goal assists per game, no one else in the top 10 coleman is close to this. Strange thread really, bit of an overreaction to 1 bad game.

 

[JackFlash]

You've pretty much made my point.

If we are comparing Walker to Tippett and Hooker, surely he is overrated.

He should be compared with Riewoldt, Kennedy, Franklin, Cameron, Ben Brown etc but he just isn't at the same level

We all underestimated his leadership qualities and that alone is worth goals each week to his team.

 

[vide0n]

Plays a completely different role these days, more of a J Riewoldt than a J Kennedy

 

[BlackSwan0512]

He missed a game due to injury, if you rate the coleman by goals per game (which you should have), you’d see he’s on par with reiwoldt, hawkins and co. 2.77-2.8 goals per game. Where he is better than other key forwards is his goal assists, he’s 1st in the comp right now with 1.8 goal assists per game, no one else in the top 10 coleman is close to this.

And still a long way behind Kennedy, Franklin and Cameron....

Riewoldt is a 2x time Coleman medalist. He has runs on the board

 

[BlackSwan0512]

We all underestimated his leadership qualities and that alone is worth goals each week to his team.

This Thread is purely on Taylor the player; not the captain. His leadership skills as a captain are unquestionable.

That isn't in contention. Also, I'm not sure how you can measure how leadership skills equates to goals scored

 

[FyfeToAdelaide]

He missed a game due to injury, if you rate the coleman by goals per game (which you should have), you’d see he’s on par with reiwoldt, hawkins and co. 2.77-2.8 goals per game. Where he is better than other key forwards is his goal assists, he’s 1st in the comp right now with 1.8 goal assists per game, no one else in the top 10 coleman is close to this. Strange thread really, bit of an overreaction to 1 bad game.

Key forwards obviously shouldnt be setting up goals while taking the best defender and still kicking a good avg of goals.. they should be only playing for their goal tally. Dont you know anything?

 

[nerRADIAN]

And still a long way behind Kennedy, Franklin and Cameron....

Riewoldt is a 2x time Coleman medalist. He has runs on the board

Cameron, Reiwoldt and Walker are all in the same league, albeit different players. Compare their output per game over their careers and then get back to me.

 

[BlackSwan0512]

Cameron, Reiwoldt and Walker are all in the same league, albeit different players. Compare their output per game over their careers and then get back to me.

Cameron and Riewoldt both average more goals per game. Both have played in lower ranking teams - Cameron has been starring since a 20yo. Reiwoldt a 2 x Coleman Medalist. Both players have had little/no support.

Walker has had Tippett and Jenkins for support.

Both Cameron and Riewoldt comfortably ahead of Walker

 

[Ian Dunross]

Cameron wouldn't have many goal assist I'd imagine - will stand corrected

OP thinks that goals are more valuable than goal assists

I'd say they're as valuable as each other

 

[BlackSwan0512]

Cameron wouldn't have many goal assist I'd imagine - will stand corrected

OP thinks that goals are more valuable than goal assists

I'd say they're as valuable as each other

At the end of the day, a KPF is judged on his goals.

Otherwise suddenly Lockett, Dunstall, Bartlett etc have less impressive careers than they are given credit for.

No doubt Taylor is a good player and suits the Crows game plan. This isn't in contention

 

[nerRADIAN]

Cameron and Riewoldt both average more goals per game. Both have played in lower ranking teams - Cameron has been starring since a 20yo. Reiwoldt a 2 x Coleman Medalist. Both players have had little/no support.

Walker has had Tippett and Jenkins for support.

Both Cameron and Riewoldt comfortably ahead of Walker

Career goals per game

Franklin = 3.1
Cameron = 2.6
Kennedy = 2.44
Reiwoldt = 2.4
Walker = 2.35
Hawkinks = 2.08
Betts = 1.93
Ben Brown = 1.8
Daniher = 1.7

I'm struggling to see your point, he's currently rated in the top 5 in goals per game in the competition while also killing it with assists. Hawkins gets way more hype IMO.

 

[Ian Dunross]

At the end of the day, a KPF is judged on his goals.

Otherwise suddenly Lockett, Dunstall, Bartlett etc have less impressive careers than they are given credit for.

No doubt Taylor is a good player and suits the Crows game plan. This isn't in contention

So...

Sav Rocca definitely a better key forward than Carey?

 

[FyfeToAdelaide]

Cameron and Riewoldt both average more goals per game. Both have played in lower ranking teams - Cameron has been starring since a 20yo. Reiwoldt a 2 x Coleman Medalist. Both players have had little/no support.

Walker has had Tippett and Jenkins for support.

Both Cameron and Riewoldt comfortably ahead of Walker

That argument goas both ways. Like 'you're telling me These players are the on focal points in a teams forward line and they only average the same as someone who has to contend with multiple top 10 coleman candidates?'

 

[FyfeToAdelaide]

At the end of the day, a KPF is judged on his goals.

Otherwise suddenly Lockett, Dunstall, Bartlett etc have less impressive careers than they are given credit for.

No doubt Taylor is a good player and suits the Crows game plan. This isn't in contention

At the end of the day that is how you judge them is the only thing apparent.

 

[BlackSwan0512]

That argument goas both ways. Like 'you're telling me These players are the on focal points in a teams forward line and they only average the same as someone who has to contend with multiple top 10 coleman candidates?'

Gherig kicked 100 in a season where Riewoldt kicked 60+. Likewise Buddy always went big alongside Roughead.

I don't see your point

 

[chiwigi]

Did I miss some hype?

I'd say he's pretty under-hyped compared to million dollar Lynch, million dollar Daniher, actual million dollar Franklin etc.

You obviously don't live in SA!

 

[Ramify]

This is over the course of his career though. Koschitzke had 4 games where he looked like Wayne Carey trained by Stephen Dank.

There's no doubt he is having a good season but his reputation definitely proceeds him

Is he really hyped in the same way Buddy,Reiwoldt,Kennedy and Cameron are though?

He plays more like Franklin and N.Reiwoldt than Cameron,Kennedy or Lynch so I dont consider the comparison to the last 3 very on point. The first 2 have his measure by a fair way I admit.
Id say he would play your more traditional FF role in a lot of teams though and I honestly believe his true strength lies in the leading full forward role moreso than the high FF/CHF role he has played since returning from injury.

Watch our games. We usually have 4 talls in our forward 50 yet Tex is the only one that often cops more than one defender and always the best one which allows the others to do some damage.

He thrived in the first 6 rounds not having Mcgovern and JJ in there clogging up space.
And yes, he would have been in a lot of AA teams up until then.

He is critical to our forward structure and without him we would have the same traditional setup as everyone else. I.E not the best attack in the business.
A better question I think, is who out of your list could play the same role as Tex does in our forward line?