Taylor Walker

[Kane McGoodwin]

Yes, you are right in one respect - you should take your chance - but the difference here is in 97/98 we had a coach that did that, today we don't.

Craig may have learnt his trade under Blight, but that is where the similarity ends.

We should have beaten Hawks two years ago in that final, we should have beaten Collingwood last year. Two chances to achieve a finals win - gone. Not to mention 05 & 06.

Don't get me wrong, I am not gunning for Craig's head - far fom it, but obviously the combination of the way he coaches and the way Taylor Walker has been playing is at odds. I just think Blight may have done it differently.

Coaches like players don't necessarily get it right from day 1 - but you hope they learn! Blight did not get it right in finals from the beginning - remember he lost grand finals against the Weagles. Let's hope Craig has learnt from past mistakes, otherwise he knows he won't get a contract extension.

 

[Willis]

This thread gets more and more ridiculous by the second. Do any of you posters actually have any experience in training elite sports people?

Walker played a shithouse game against Collingwood, he's been dropped. He hasn't been delisted and no one here is likely to have any idea about his mindset. Move on.

 

[bus24]

He was a liability last week. We're pushing for a top four spot so you can't carry liabilities.

The other side of the coin here is Hentschel. An exceptional case. We MUST give Hentschel an oppurtunity to show us he can still play AFL football.

So we can't afford to play Walker, a super talented 19 year old, that's already done the business this season, despite some ordinary games.

But we can afford to get all sentimental, play a guy who had his knee shattered 3 years ago, and can't go more than 3 or 4 weeks without pulling or straining a muscle. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he did a hammy getting off the bus.

What happened to Trent was terrible, and of course it'd be nice to see whether he could still cut it.

But come on. He hasn't demonstrated form worthy of an AFL recall, meanwhile Taylor Walker, who's kicked about 950 thousand goals in the SANFL in the last two seasons, has one bad game and is banished back into the SANFL wasteland.

Personally I feel, Hentschel is much more of a liability than Walker is.

 

[Captain Pants]

Forget for a second who the player is who is getting dropped and think about the performance that caused it, then you might see some reasoning behind it, if it was Sellar no one would say a thing

 

[cmndstab]

So we can't afford to play Walker, a super talented 19 year old, that's already done the business this season, despite some ordinary games.

But we can afford to get all sentimental, play a guy who had his knee shattered 3 years ago, and can't go more than 3 or 4 weeks without pulling or straining a muscle. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he did a hammy getting off the bus.

What happened to Trent was terrible, and of course it'd be nice to see whether he could still cut it.

But come on. He hasn't demonstrated form worthy of an AFL recall, meanwhile Taylor Walker, who's kicked about 950 thousand goals in the SANFL in the last two seasons, has one bad game and is banished back into the SANFL wasteland.

Personally I feel, Hentschel is much more of a liability than Walker is.

There is clearly a massive difference between the need to play Hentschel who, if he can't show that he's still got what it takes to play AFL football, will not be on the list next year, and Walker who is going to be here a decade. If Hentschel doesn't play in these last few rounds his career is over. Walker's career is only just beginning. Surely you see that?

Pretty difficult to claim Hentschel to be a bigger liability than Walker. I have no doubt that if Walker played an average SANFL game and Hentschel got only a few touches and no goals that you'd claim Walker MUST come in.

I think the big issue here is that people feel that we're somehow stunting Walker's growth as a player by not feeding him games for free. There seems to be this school of thought going around that because he's talented, the rules that apply to the rest of the group shouldn't apply to him. That's a terrible way to run a footy club and breeds nothing but bad habits and disgruntled teammates. Walker has to earn his spot in the side and once there he has to keep it. The only real issue here to my mind is that he only got one poor game before being dropped. If it had been two poor games in a row I'd be 100% behind the club.

 

[crowsup]

There is clearly a massive difference between the need to play Hentschel who, if he can't show that he's still got what it takes to play AFL football, will not be on the list next year, and Walker who is going to be here a decade. If Hentschel doesn't play in these last few rounds his career is over. Walker's career is only just beginning. Surely you see that?

Pretty difficult to claim Hentschel to be a bigger liability than Walker. I have no doubt that if Walker played an average SANFL game and Hentschel got only a few touches and no goals that you'd claim Walker MUST come in.

I think the big issue here is that people feel that we're somehow stunting Walker's growth as a player by not feeding him games for free. There seems to be this school of thought going around that because he's talented, the rules that apply to the rest of the group shouldn't apply to him. That's a terrible way to run a footy club and breeds nothing but bad habits and disgruntled teammates. Walker has to earn his spot in the side and once there he has to keep it. The only real issue here to my mind is that he only got one poor game before being dropped. If it had been two poor games in a row I'd be 100% behind the club.

I thought that his last 3 AFL games weren't that hot either. So, in my book, it is at least 3 bad games in a row. It isn't as he came back from an injury and would have needed 2-3 games to get back into swing .
I think he deserved to be dropped. Especially since we are not guaranteed to be in the 8, yet.

 

[relapse]

Woosh, over the top of the head!

Stiffy's point was Ladhams had just as much talent as Edwards, perhaps more in freakish sense ... but did not apply himself - so was a waste! Edwards also had a similar point early in his career, got dropped, knuckled down & became a legend of AFC.

Of course it didnt go over my head.

He tried to say that the difference from Edwards to Ladhams was solely work rate. That is pretty simple to understand. I am saying that I cant believe that someone would think that is true, it seems like everytime someone who is hyped gets delisted the people that pumped them up use the line that they were super talented, but just lazy and had no work ethic with football as an excuse.

In my own opinion I saw nothing in Ladhams besides having the best leg in our team. His ability to read the game etc was no better than anyone else, he failed at both Essendon and Adelaide yet has all the talent of tyson edwards, but not the work rate, please

 

[relapse]

We are reasonable chance to make the top-4.

Yet "supporters" of AFC would rather we blood youngsters not deserving of selection & throw away the year.

Geez, I'm glad some of you have no official status at AFC, as when it the hunt even a a small chance, you NEVER give up!!

We got pantsed by Collingwood and should have beaten Geelong (who played as poorly against us as they did against Carlton)

Its not about giving up it is about building towards a premiership and not focussing on using the same guys year in year out that havent gotten us over the line in September and expecting a miracle every year which never happens.

If our squad develops into one challenging for a flag in the next two-three years what is going to be more valuable exposing those players the pressure of finals or keeping them in the SANFL while we play the same old guys who wont be there in two years.

Reasonable chance ??? We sit a game and 10% outside the top 4 with three games to play. We are in a position where we have to win all three games and rely on the Bulldogs only win one game, I dont see how we are a reasonable chance to make the top four

If we were going to make the top four we would have been good enough to win at least one or both of our last two games and would be sitting in the top four now as weak speak.

 

[jenny61_99]

Walker has been playing poorly because he is afraid of getting dropped. This is a guy who grabbed the SANFL by the balls last year and who did not seem at all surprised that his first kick in AFL was a goal from a brutal angle. He appeared quite comfortable at this level earlier in the year. Craig keeps going on about Taylor's weaknesses (e.g. defensive pressure) but other young players on our list don't seem to get singled out as much as him. He was poor against Collingwood last weekend but we shouldn't put too many negative thoughts in his head by repeatedly saying certain parts of his game aren't up to scratch. He's 19, just let him play footy.

Perhaps he's being singled out because he's seen as the "great white hope"? Craig demands a lot from his players and probably moreso from those he believes will be something special. Short term pain for long term gain. Walker - and our team - will be better off in the long run.

 

[relapse]

There is clearly a massive difference between the need to play Hentschel who, if he can't show that he's still got what it takes to play AFL football, will not be on the list next year, and Walker who is going to be here a decade. If Hentschel doesn't play in these last few rounds his career is over. Walker's career is only just beginning. Surely you see that?

Pretty difficult to claim Hentschel to be a bigger liability than Walker. I have no doubt that if Walker played an average SANFL game and Hentschel got only a few touches and no goals that you'd claim Walker MUST come in.

I think the big issue here is that people feel that we're somehow stunting Walker's growth as a player by not feeding him games for free. There seems to be this school of thought going around that because he's talented, the rules that apply to the rest of the group shouldn't apply to him. That's a terrible way to run a footy club and breeds nothing but bad habits and disgruntled teammates. Walker has to earn his spot in the side and once there he has to keep it. The only real issue here to my mind is that he only got one poor game before being dropped. If it had been two poor games in a row I'd be 100% behind the club.

I agree with what you have said, but arent you advocating for Trent to receive gold pass games to see whether he has a future or not at the club ??

At the end of the day there is sentiment among some of us that have grown bored with the 8th finishes and the coaching staff living off 05 and 06 and the merry-go-round each year of trying to trump up a squad that isnt good enough and is then exposed in September. I admit this year that things have started to finally change which is good, but there are a few here that want the club to do whatever it takes to win a flag.

 

[cmndstab]

I'm not advocating that at all. He came back and played adequately well in the SANFL to get another match, and a spot opened up for him courtesy of Walker's poor performance last week. Yes, he needs to have a game to show that he's still got it, but before he even gets that oppurtunity he needs to also demonstrate that he's got what it takes to actually deserve a place in the side. He's now done that to an adequate level and is being rewarded accordingly.

If he had come back and played terribly in the SANFL and then got gifted a game to "see if he still had it" I'd have my eyebrows raised.


I agree with you that this year is very unlikely to lead to a flag and that we need to invest in the future (while still trying to win matches, mind you). However, I don't think simply feeding matches to a non-performing player is the way to go. I think it teaches the player bad habits, damages the competitive culture of the club and creates the impressionthat there are "favourites" in the club which can not ever be a good thing. Like I said before, if last week's match had actually been two matches, I'd absolutely advocate dropping Walker. Doing it after a single match doesn't sit that comfortably with me but I agree with dropping players, yes, even our future guns, if they are in poor form. If the club has decided that one bad game constitutes poor form, then I suppose I can see why he was dropped.

Certainly if Hentschel plays up forward and has a match like Walker did last week while Walker dominates the SANFL as usual, and the positions in the team aren't changed again the week after, then you'll have to start asking some questions. At the moment though it seems to me like they're treating Walker exactly like they treat every other member of their squad, and in my opinion that's a good thing.

 

[taylor_walker_13]

People need to get a grip thats for certian.

 

[Damon_3388]

Just something of interest - here's some stats on game time this year in the AFL:

Kurt Tippett - 86%
Taylor Walker - 69%
James Sellar - 44%

Now disregarding Sellar (as he's playing mainly in the Ruck, where sharing game time is more common), is playing 2 1/2 quarters per game really good for a Key Forward's development? I know he hasn't produced as much as Tippett (who has 3 years of age, 11cm and 13kg on Walker) but surely giving him some more game time up forward at AFL level (instead of leaving him on the bench for long periods in the games he does play) would be helpful to his development than kicking 4-5 goals at SANFL level. As much as I love him helping out the Redlegs, SANFL isn't really a great challenge for him at this stage. If he'd played the whole season at that level, and Norwood could reliably base their game plan around him from week to week, he'd probably be leading the goalkicking in the local league.

 

[cmndstab]

An interesting stat for you to follow that up with might be how much game time Tippett played in his first year.

The Crows try to ease their youngsters in, not giving them much game time in their first year. Supporters are divided on whether this is a good thing or not but I don't think it's hurt our players so far.

 

[macca23]

In respect of this whole re-action to Taylor Walker's omission, a famous quote comes to mind:

"Never has so much been said, by so many, about so little"

 

[lunacy]

Certainly if Hentschel plays up forward and has a match like Walker did last week while Walker dominates the SANFL as usual, and the positions in the team aren't changed again the week after, then you'll have to start asking some questions. At the moment though it seems to me like they're treating Walker exactly like they treat every other member of their squad, and in my opinion that's a good thing.

Except for Douglas. So many chances its not funny

 

[Vader]

Except for Douglas. So many chances its not funny

Dougy is playing (as he has been since being dropped after R11) only because of injuries to better players, with a lack of better alternatives currently available.

Consider our list of players available for selection this week. Other than the 22 named to play, the following is a complete list of non-debutants:
Griffin (30 games)
Walker (14 games)
Petrenko (9 games)
Cook (3 games)

That's it. Just 4 players left who are neither injured nor selected to play. Beyond that, it's just the debutants: Armstrong, Davis, Lee, Gallman, Young, Kite and the rookies - Henderson & Donnelly.

Which of these players are you suggesting is more deserving of a game this week than Douglas? The only possible answer would be Petrenko - and he's been named as one of the travelling emergencies.

 

[King Elvis]

Walker has been playing poorly because he is afraid of getting dropped. This is a guy who grabbed the SANFL by the balls last year and who did not seem at all surprised that his first kick in AFL was a goal from a brutal angle. He appeared quite comfortable at this level earlier in the year. Craig keeps going on about Taylor's weaknesses (e.g. defensive pressure) but other young players on our list don't seem to get singled out as much as him. He was poor against Collingwood last weekend but we shouldn't put too many negative thoughts in his head by repeatedly saying certain parts of his game aren't up to scratch. He's 19, just let him play footy.

That's exactly it.

Because of how good Walker is, and because of how incredibly he could potentially be, it seems as though Craigy is being extra cautious and extra harsh on him.

I think, and hope, that Walker is up to it and will benefit from it - but at the moment, he looks like his confidence is shot, and he doesn't know what he's doing.

 

[Symesy15]

7 pages....seriously??
If it was ANY other player (even another youngster), and they had 4 touches in a game, you guys would be calling for them to be delisted/traded and would celebrate that they've been dropped.
There's a reason you guys aren't on the selection panel - because you have NO idea what goes on behind the scenes. You see what happens on the field and players don't get picked and dropped JUST because of what happened on the field, i.e in the pre-season Danger didn't play because his training wasn't up to scratch (remember that? Danger didn't play during the pre-season....of course you don't remember that because look at him now!!! Because God forbid you guys would actually admit that him not getting picked then has helped him now...)
The problem with Walker is that the media has pumped him up so much that everyone thought he was going to solve all our forward problems in one year, but of course, he hasn't. He's a 19 year old, he still has a lot to learn and once he builds up a little strength (because if you watched him last week, he got out-muscled almost every time he went to mark the ball) he'll be a gun. He'll be back and even better next year and he'll be like Tippett - club's leading goal kicker, in the top 10 leading goalkickers in the competition and all this crap will be forgotten.

 

[cmndstab]

As disappointing as Douglas' year has been his games haven't approached the depths of Walker's poorest games. And even despite that, he has been dropped this year.

As Vader says, there aren't exactly people at the door forcing him out either. But I can assure you, if the roles were reversed and Walker had had Douglas' game last week and vice versa, Douglas would be the one in the SANFL this weekend.

 

[Tex200]

I think that perhaps the most annoying thing about Taylor's omission is the fact it is pretty clear he is an AFL standard player and that, all things being equal, he is in our best 22.

Just as clearly there are things he is doing, or not doing, in his current position which do not please the coaching staff and that these things do not necessarily relate to his natural flair and ability as a key forward ie his defensive effort, his second effort, his ability to work within our zone.

If they are so concerned about building the defensive side of his game I query whether it would not have been better for him to be taken out of his comfort zone and played further up the field to properly learn these things. Trent Hentschel struggled up forward in his very early years, was moved to full back which gave him breathing space in terms of retaining his place in the side. He was then eventually worked back forward. Pav did they same thing..learnt his trade at full back.

My point here is that the basic assumption should be that Taylor is an AFL player and I would rather see him rounding off his overall game within AFL matches, rather than wasting away in the SANFL.

 

[cmndstab]

In my opinion Walker has not once been dropped because of his lack of defensive pressure or second efforts. His two demotions have come entirely from a lack of offensive efforts.

 

[crows dude]

Walker will kick 50 goals again this season.

He currently sits on 41 Goals. 23 with crows and 18 from 4 games with Norwood. With three games left and needing only 9 goals Im sure he will do it quite easily.

Not bad for a 19 year old who hasnt had the best of seasons.

Imagine how good he will be when he is 24 years old. The age Modra was in 1993.

 

[mdc]

Just a qn...once both mature, do you guys see Walker at FF and Tippett at CHF, or the other way around? It seems to me a big part of the reason Walker struggled against us was that he was being played too high/wide to expose Leigh Brown, whereas Tippett was given lots of room inside the 50. I thought he looked far more dangerous in our Rd 1 encounter because he seemed to be playing deeper.

 

[crowman86]

Much much much more dangerous as a FF. Leading out from goals into space is where he is most dangerous.