Rory Sloane says there’s no one he enjoys playing alongside more than Taylor Walker.
Walker, 24, was recognised with the Best Team Man award at the Crows Club Champion presentation on Friday night.
The two-time Crows leading goalkicker made his long-awaited comeback from a knee reconstruction against Collingwood at Adelaide Oval in Round Nine and played the next 14 games in succession.
He kicked 34 goals from 15 matches, including multiple goals in 11 games, to finish third in Adelaide’s goalkicking. The imposing forward averaged a career-high 14.7 disposals and 1.7 score assists – ranked fourth in the AFL.
Walker’s influence on the playing group was reflected in his elevation to the senior leadership group this year despite having spent nearly 12 months on the sidelines.
Sloane said Walker was a deserving winner of the Best Team Man award.
“Tex is the one guy I love playing with the most out of everyone on our team,” Sloane told FIVEaa.
“The energy Tex has and what he brings out of other guys on the field is just awesome. I can’t speak highly enough of playing with Tex. You know he’s got your back. He’s a big presence and you just know he’s going to fight for you. That’s what everyone loves about Tex.
“It’s why he’s in the leadership group as well. He has such a good rapport with everyone on our list. When Tex speaks in a meeting everyone shuts up and listens. He’s a smart footy man and the guys respect him.
“He’s got a great balance of being able to joke around and then be serious when he’s training. That shows in how he was able to return this season.”
Sloane, who presented the gold jacket on Friday night, also praised Club Champion Daniel Talia.
Talia, 22, edged out runner-up Sloane and third-placed Patrick Dangerfield to become the second-youngest winner of the Malcolm Blight Medal.
The defender’s passionate acceptance speech, where he called for more action and less talk and implored his teammates to get the best out of themselves, was a highlight of the night.
“I’m so glad ‘Tals’ won it. Sometimes his role has gone unrecognised (externally), but not by us,” Sloane said.
“He gave a great speech. He definitely surprised a lot of guys with how well he spoke.
“He hasn’t talked that well all year – on ground or off the ground – and he’s come out with that.”
Sloane said Talia’s message had resonated with the players.
“Tals is a bloke who squeezes absolutely everything out of himself. Everyone sees how determined and diligent he is with everything he does. It’s a powerful message coming from him,” he said.
“There has been a lot of stuff said by us and also in the media about how we played and what let us down this year. The same things kept popping up throughout the year. It’s just time to get that right.
“We know exactly what we need to get better at … but never quite got better at it. It’s also about individuals as well. If they want to get better, they have to show it and it starts at training this offseason. We’ve got to come back in good nick and start pre-season firing.”
