Adelaide may have swung the changes – five of them, in fact – as they prepare to take on the Dees this evening, but in an early-season do-or-die clash, Crows supporters would be very nervous.
Last week, the Demons knocked over the favoured Port Adelaide Power at this venue, and showed plenty of heart in the process.
It is that component that has been missing from a lot of the footy played by the Crows in 2024.
And as the experts troll through the possibilities and probabilities of the horror start to the year, many are turning their eyes to Taylor Walker and his slow start.
Inevitably, captain or not, in trouble or not, and performing or not, that is still where the buck stops with the Crows. Jordan Dawson may be the captain, but in the eyes of many, Tex IS the Crows. He will be until he’s done.
And you know what? It’s actually not fair. Not at this stage of his career.
Over the last three seasons, Tex has played exceptional footy. With 171 goals in seasons 2021-23, Walker has been the pillar the Crows have built around. And he has stood strong after looking as though things were beginning to crumble for him in 2020.
The less said about 2020 the better – it was a horrible season of footy in a horrible period of time, and Walker wasn’t the only one to be happy to see the back of it. However, few expected the return to form he displayed in the years following. As a matter of fact, many were speculating he was done after that year. He looked slow, ineffective, and could not jump over a piece of paper.
But Walker was not finished, just yet. And in a complete 180, was one of the best forwards of the last three seasons, culminating with a monster 76 goals in 2023.
And now, with his team – and in many ways, it is still his team – floundering at 0-3 and the very real prospect of 0-4 staring them in the face, it might end up being Walker putting this team on his back, once again.
But it shouldn’t be.
Whilst Tex was busy carrying this mob, he was giving his fellow forwards the opportunity to learn, grow, and find their place in the team without having to endure the pressure of being the number one scoring source. Walker took that responsibility, and he wore it with pride.
In the meantime, the Crows drafted Josh Rachele, recruited Izak Rankine, and compiled one of the more dangerous-looking forward lines in the business. Indeed, if looks could kill, most that came up against Adelaide would be the walking dead. With Darcy Fogarty and Riley Thilthorpe nearing the end of their apprenticeships under Walker, the Crows looked ready to take a bite out of the league.
And yet, 2024 has found them completely toothless.
The club lost Riley Thilthorpe on the eve of the season, injuring his knee in a pre-season game against the Eagles. It is expected the injury will keep him out until the second half of the 2024 season. A savage blow, undoubtedly, but the Crows should have had the weapons to cover him.
Chris Burgess was recruited to the club for this exact eventuality, and Lachie Gollant has been waiting in the wings for his chance to grab hold of a regular spot in the forward rotation.
And yet, through the first three games, this star-studded forward line, thought by many to be ready to explode in 2024, is more resembling a sparkler on top of a kid’s birthday cake. And like the Crows in 2024, those bloody things can be hard to get going, at times.
Rankine and Rachele are both averaging 1.3 goals per game, Tex is at just one (after 3.45 per contest in 2023), and Fogarty has been the biggest disappointment, failing to step up as Walker has struggled, averaging just 0.67 goals over the first three games.
Through those first three games, the four permanent parts of the Crows’ forward setup (Rachele, Rankine, Walker, and Fogarty) have combined for just 12 goals in total.
Jesse Hogan has kicked that many by himself, for GWS.
Whilst it is easy to point the finger at Walker, unlike his forward line counterparts, he came into the season under an injury cloud, missing Round One. Not that this is an excuse – if you’re on the field, you’re considered fit – but when your elder statesman is battling through injury to front up and provide a target (and taking the best defender in the process) it is up to the others to step up.
Instead, they have stepped aside.
Disappointingly, none of them have shown much of anything, particularly effort, as though they just expected things to happen in 2024.
The heat is rightfully on the Adelaide Crows tonight to kick off Gather Round. The Dees have proven they’re a force to contend with this season, and have hit back at their own critics in the best way possible.
It’s time the Crows did the same.
Yes, it is easy to point the finger at Taylor Walker and blame him the team’s failures on him not performing to the level we’ve become accustomed to over the past three years – some people delight in doing just that. However, he is almost 34 years of age and desperately needing the new breed of Adelaide forwards to stop being kids with promise and start playing like damn men.
I’ve always thought Adelaide would miss Walker immeasurably once he’s gone. What he has given them in the last three years has been above and beyond what’s been expected of him. But I also thought he was preparing others to make the transition to the top job a little easier. Maybe I was wrong – maybe they are just not ready?
Surely not, though. They have to know Tex cannot continue forever – certainly not at the level we saw last season.
It’s time some of the other ‘stars’ from the Crows stepped up and took some of that weight Walker has had on his shoulders.
It’s time for Darcy Fogarty, Izak Rankine, and Josh Rachele to stop being supporting players and start being the main attraction.
The Crows need them to.
Taylor Walker needs them to.
And Adelaide 2024 season might just depend on them doing just that.
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