Adelaide Crows list manager Justin Reid has confirmed star forward Taylor Walker will play next season despite finishing the year on the sidelines due to a racism saga.
Walker last month was suspended for six games and hit with a $20,000 fine after racially abusing ex-St Kilda and current North Adelaide player Robbie Young during a SANFL game.
The highly publicised saga occurred only weeks after the 31-year-old signed a new one-year deal for 2022. He will still have three matches to serve on the sidelines next year.
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Walker, who enjoyed a resurgent season for the Crows by kicking 48 goals in 17 games in 2021, is determined to bounce back according to the club’s list manager.
“It certainly wasn’t the greatest ending, and it’s something that we need to work through as a club and something we’ll continue to support not just ‘Tex’ but the whole playing group and the wider community,” Reid told AFL Trade Radio.
“I know that is something ‘Tex’ is focused in on and he’s someone I check in on on a fortnightly basis and he’ll be playing at the Adelaide Football Club next year.
“He’s determined to get inside the four walls and go about his business so he’s about improving and so are we as a football club where we sit at the moment so there’s plenty of work to be done.”
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Walker late last month remained tight-lipped on whether he would play next year, conceding he needed to work on becoming a better person.
“To me at the moment, playing is not my priority. Repairing the relationships with the people I’ve hurt is my main priority,” he said at the time.
“It’s up to me to get to work and do the things I said before.
“I’m not here to talk about myself and my future, it’s about what I do from here on in as a person, I’ve got some work to do and I’ll put my hand up and I’ll own this and I’m going to go to work and do the best I can.
“I’ve spoken to a few players and they’ve said if the time comes to that we’ll get to that as it comes.”
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