Adelaide assistant coach Mick Godden admits veteran forward Taylor Walker has not performed to the required standard so far in 2020.
The former Crows captain is averaging five kicks, one mark and a goal per game across the first three rounds with his below par form coinciding with three successive defeats for the club.
Ahead of this weekend’s meeting with Brisbane at the Gabba, Walker’s position in the Adelaide side is in doubt especially after coach Matthew Nicks added Elliott Himmelberg and Billy Frampton to his squad.
While acknowledging that there is more than one player responsible for the Crows’ shortcomings of late, which include a heavy 53-point loss to the Gold Coast Suns last weekend, Godden suggests Walker needs to lift his overall output.
“I think Tex would be the first to admit that,” Godden said on SEN SA Breakfast.
“He’s not impacted the game like he would like. He’s been a great player for our footy club but right now he’s just struggling to impact.
“From a midfield’s point of view, we were struggling to get it down there (against the Suns) and when we did it was coming back. That’s not just on Tex but he’s certainly part of that crew so…
“Criticism is difficult and never fair because you know the individual is always trying the hardest he can but right now his performances aren’t quite at the level.
“He’s a very proud man and he’s trained really well this week and we’ll see how we go today.”
Himmelberg and Frampton have been included on an extended bench for the Sunday game but Godden admits he is not too certain which way it will go at selection considering the Crows do need some further assistance for starting ruckman Reilly O’Brien.
“We have been too short (up forward). We’ve tried a different model and it certainly hasn’t worked in our forward half,” he added.
“There’s a bit of a battle there between those three (Himmelberg, Frampton and Walker). Whether we go with one or two of those three and potentially make other adjustments so we can get our heights right.
“Reilly O’Brien in the ruck is certainly in need of some help. He can play a lot of game time but the fatigue is hurting him a little bit. We’re having some communication breakdown between himself and the mids at times as well which is more of fatigue thing so we feel we need to bring in someone who can help him.”
Godden also put the acid on the club’s experienced players who have been well below expectations over the past two weeks.
“We’ve got some players in there that are young and fresh and new and that’s really exciting,” he said.
“But we also have a good core group and we certainly don’t have a list that we shouldn’t be playing better.
“The reality is those guys aren’t playing to the level that we require and need.”
The bottom-placed Crows will be intent on clinching their first win of the season when they tackle the in-form Lions in the second of their four Queensland hub games.