Taylor Walker has had a stellar start to the 2021 AFL season, not just leading the Coleman Medal but setting an early pace that could see him be the first to kick 100 goals in a season since forever. News during the week that he was already feeling sore, however, reminds us of his advanced age and the downside risk for fantasy coaches who want to ride his rollercoaster. Older fantasy coaches might remember the Indian summer that Matthew Richardson had in his thirties after years of decline, fighting through soft tissue issues. Can Tex stand up for 22 games?
Taylor Walker has had a stellar start to the 2021 AFL season, not just leading the Coleman Medal but setting an early pace that could see him be the first to kick 100 goals in a season since forever. News during the week that he was already feeling sore, however, reminds us of his advanced age and the downside risk for fantasy coaches who want to ride his rollercoaster. Older fantasy coaches might remember the Indian summer that Matthew Richardson had in his thirties after years of decline, fighting through soft tissue issues. Can Tex stand up for 22 games?
Taylor Walker has started to put up some very nice scores in junk time for Adelaide this season, part of a late-season resurgence after going 0-13 to start the campaign. His role has included a lot of running to the logos to provide link work, but also a lot of goalface work making good use of his contested marking ability. The obvious question was whether he was just filling in for Tom T. Lynch in that position, but last week's decent score with Lynch back and firing should ease those worries. He looms as an interesting prospect for next year, if you think the Crows bounce back.
Taylor Walker is emblematic of the Adelaide Football Club, and right now that is not a good thing to be as the team is going like a busted proverbial. When the Crows were dominant a few years ago Tex was at the centre of the best attack in the league, and now he's a shadow of his former self. It's all between the ears with this club, and the glass cannon that is Walker's right boot has long since shattered. He was tried on a wing in preseason and was found to not be the next Matthew Richardson. Where next, defence? Adelaide is all out of ideas.
Walker shambles to cliff
The worst thing about Taylor Walker's 2019, which was just as bad as his previous year, is that this may be his new normal. His personal goal output of 43.22 was about average for his career, but it's the score involvement stat where he has really dropped away, failing to bring his teammates into the game nearly as much as he did in 2017 when he ranked third in the league. His fantasy average was 18 points better in wins, and there aren't as many of those as there used to be at Adelaide. It is easy to blame Walker as the leader of his club for the problems besetting a once dominant forward line. He has made noises in preseason about a Matthew Richardson style move to a wing, but he probably lacks the pace to make that work. It is as hard to see him regaining his old form as it is to see the Crow attack as a whole restoring its former potency, and if the latter happens it may not be predicated on the former. He is practically undraftable at this point.
Chuck Tex's year in the bin
Camp-related melodrama, a preseason foot injury, a pinged hamstring in round 6, two suspensions, poor personal form and flak over his captaincy added up to an awful 2018 for Taylor Walker... then in November he and his partner lost their first baby. Tex suffered the longest out of any Crow at a time where everything went wrong. He is capable of booting 50+ goals, but barely managed half that last year. His fantasy average has topped the forward baseline in three of his ten seasons. Most footy fans would want to see Walker rise from the ashes of a wasted season to reclaim his position as the leader of what has been the best attack in football. For fantasy coaches, even if you have faith that this will happen, it's doubtful whether you should burn anything other than a late flier pick on him given his boom-bust scoring patterns. As with most key position forwards, some games he can go quiet due to the flow of the game or get nullified by a good opponent, meaning he is not a reliable starter. Avoid if you can.
Walker on wobbly path
Taylor Walker was the leader and focal point of the club with the most potent attack in the AFL again this season, though this did not always translate into good statistical days at the office for him personally. He posted his worst two scores in drubbings of minnows, and four of his five fantasy tons were against top half sides. Six of his nine bags of three or more goals came before the bye. If you want to know why key position forwards are not all that popular in draft leagues, consider Walker. His average means he has to be started every week, but his scoring is so variable with no seeming pattern that it is very frustrating when he delivers poor scores one out of every three. This is why advanced fantasy coaches take note of standard deviation and prefer more consistent producers.
