After serving a suspension earlier in the season, Taylor Walker has stormed back to career-best form, averaging just short of three goals a game this year.
Walker's 17 majors through his first six games of 2022 have him among the most influential players in the AFL given the 32-year-old's stature within the Adelaide side, and the veteran is showing no signs of slowing down.
Out of contract at the end of the year as an unrestricted free agent, there’s no indication he wants to leave the club. However, the upcoming question will revolve around the length of the deal, given his importance Adelaide's forward line.
Young key forward Darcy Fogarty appears to be on his last chance and again disappointed over the weekend, while fellow tall Riley Thilthorpe is playing in the reserves
“Not just at the start of this pre-season but last pre-season, two years back, people were saying, ‘oh look, Taylor Walker’s still here, if he's playing AFL it means the club’s not heading in the right direction and there should be others pushing him out’,” SEN SA Breakfast co-host Andrew Hayes said.
“All of a sudden, Taylor Walker is so far ahead of anyone else in terms of his importance to that side… (how many clubs would be interested now)?”
Port Adelaide 300-gamer Kane Cornes believes the Crows have no choice but to offer the veteran a two-year contract despite his age.
“(Adelaide) will have to give him two years, they have no other option. He’s their most important player which is good for him, but not great for the club. They would have hoped to have moved in a different direction with Fogarty and Thilthorpe being the replacements for him,” Cornes said.
“Now that hasn’t eventuated. If they don’t give him two (years) Collingwood or someone will give him two, there’s no doubt about that.
“That’s not a bad thing, it just means that the players underneath him haven’t progressed like the club would have hoped.”
Walker is also averaging 16 disposals, 8.5 score involvements and 5.0 marks in 2022.