Tex reflects on 2017 camp that 'fractured' Grand Final Crows

Just weeks after wrapping up his AFL career, Adelaide legend Taylor Walker has looked back on the Crows’ 2017 campaign.

Entering 2017, Adelaide was considered a real premiership threat, led by the likes of Eddie Betts, Rory Sloane, Rory Laird, the Crouch brothers and of course, Tex Walker.

And over the course of the season, they would live up to the hype, playing out the year as the best home and away side, claiming the minor premiership with 15 wins from 22 games and progressing all the way through to the 2017 AFL Grand Final.

But in front of over 100,000 people at the MCG, the Crows would meet their match, beaten convincingly by Richmond after a 10-goal to four second half slaughtering.

Nearly 10 years on, Walker still feels the bittersweet reality.

“The further you get away from certain events, the clearer you can think and understand,” Walker told SEN SA.

“We were the best team the whole year and unfortunately, in our game, it means bugger all, because on Grand Final day, if you don't rock up and play your best, you get showed up.

“That's what happened to us in 2017. A bittersweet day, but one that I feel lucky enough to have been a part of.

“Hopefully for the Crows fans, we might be back there soon one day.”

Following their Grand Final heartbreak, the Crows embarked on a mental strength camp that took place in January-February of 2018.

As has been well documented, it was a camp that did no favours for the club, with facilitators hurling verbal abuse at the playing group, playing the Richmond Football Club theme song on repeat, playing on personal traumas and misappropriating First Nations’ rituals.

Walker recalled the infamous camp that derailed and fractured Adelaide’s momentum.

“I had no idea what was happening at the camp or what was going to happen at the camp,” he said.

“I just had to back in the powers to be at the time and I did that. There were times on the camp I was like, ‘what is going on here’.

“Unfortunately, the club had great intentions... we probably didn't execute it to suit everyone.

“In life, we all know that people have different views and opinions on things and that's pretty much what happened. Not everyone enjoyed the camp.

“Unfortunately for the footy club, it did fracture our group for quite a period of time and took us a long time to get back on our feet.”

Listen to Walker’s full chat below: