Why the Crows should offer Taylor Walker a new contract for 2025

The Adelaide Crows should definitely be offering Taylor Walker a contract for 2025 according to Daniel Menzel.

The 34-year-old veteran is out of contract this year but is reportedly keen to play on with the Crows for another season.

Given what ‘Tex’ delivered in 2023 when kicking a career-high 76 goals and making his first All-Australian team, Menzel would be handing the key forward a deal for next year if he were Crows list manager.

The former Cat and Swan explained why he would keep Walker around at West Lakes next year.

“I’m definitely giving Taylor Walker a contract,” Menzel said on SEN SA’s The Run Home.

“The reason being is it was only last year he finished second in the Coleman. So I’m giving him that because he had such a good year last year.

“But not just that. He still takes and commands the best defender. What that does to the next forward, and the third forward in particular, is huge.

“He doesn’t have to play every single week and if other players go past him then so be it. It’s important to have him there because we saw what happened with (Riley) Thilthorpe this year and unfortunately injuries happen.

“If something happens along this lines next year with another key forward then it makes them a little bit vulnerable.

“Also, I like what it might look like with Thilthorpe, Walker and (Darcy) Fogarty at times which can really stretch key defenders and defences of teams that aren’t necessarily tall down back.”

Former Crows captain Walker has dealt with a back injury in 2024, kicking just 21 goals in 14 outings to take his career tallies to 633 goals from 274 games.

He has been managed for Friday night’s meeting with Essendon so will not get the chance to again team up with 22-year-old Riley Thilthorpe

Thilthorpe returned to the team to kick two goals from seven disposals as a sub in last weekend’s home win over St Kilda, impressing his Crows teammates.

One of this was Brodie Smith who loved the way the former Pick 2 went about his business after missing the majority of the campaign with a knee injury.

“He’s a deadset unicorn, he’s a freak,” Smith said on SEN’s Sportsday SA.

“I was super pumped for him to come out and have the impact that he did.

“Hopefully going forward he can now bring that to his game for quarters and become the superstars we know he can be.”

Thilthorpe, Walker and the 14th-placed Crows meet the sixth-placed Bombers at Marvel Stadium on Friday night to kick off Round 19.