Nerves aren’t what you might expect to feel heading into an 18th AFL campaign.

But for Adelaide veteran Taylor Walker, who is the most experienced player on the Crows’ list, the trepidation is real.

In a candid sit down with AFC Media, the 278-game forward opened up on what it’s like to front another tough pre-season after almost two decades in the Crows’ nest.

“I’m excited, nervous, (with) a bit of reality kicking in, because the more you play on, the closer you get to the end of your career,” the 34-year-old said.

“(My nerves) are based on the fact it's getting closer to the end and I just need to enjoy it.

“But I want to get better every single day, so I am also really excited for the year.

“The past four or five years I’ve really relaxed, and I’ve probably enjoyed my footy the most I ever have.”

The Club’s all-time leading goal kicker - who is also equal fifth for all-time games played - signed a one-year contract extension at the end of the 2024 season.

Reflecting on how his pre-season habits have changed across the journey, Walker said understanding what is best for his body dictates his preparation for the gruelling sessions.

“When I first started, (in pre-season) you do everything and you're learning about your body, you’re learning about how to be a professional athlete - whether that’s how much sleep you need to have to what you need to eat, to what training you need to do, to what recovery you need to do,” Walker said.

“Whereas now I know how my body responds, so it’s more about being able to manage that from day-to-day and week-to-week and game-to-game.

“Recovery wise for me, I like to get moving, like to go for walks and try to get going a bit earlier in the week, because the older you get, the harder it gets.

“Ice baths actually tend to stall my recovery a little bit, so I try to steer clear of them as much as I can, water is still good, I just like getting in the pool and flushing all the toxins out of my body.”

The pre-season is just preparation for what Walker knows is likely to be yet another demanding AFL campaign.

But he never needs to dig deep for motivation, with the fierce competition, camaraderie and confidence in the Club’s direction driving him.

“I just love footy, so it’s very easy to keep the passion,” Walker said.

“I love the competition, I love little things like packing my bag, going into the changerooms and smelling the deep heat, I love competing with the boys, running out onto Adelaide Oval, going to interstate games.

“I’m really confident in the direction the Club is heading. We’ve got heaps and heaps of talent, we’ve got kids who love to compete, so now we just need to jell that altogether.”

As he’s got older injuries have, however, become a little more common.

Walker's decision to extend his career into an 18th season came despite managing back spasms last year.

He revealed that a tip from Skipper Jordan Dawson had helped alleviate the back pain.

“Pilates has been a big thing for me, that was based on the back injury I had last year, a few people mentioned to me that Pilates would be good,” Walker said.

“But it wasn’t until Daws made mention of it last year, he said ‘mate, I do Pilates and I had a crook back, so maybe just try it’.

“I was like ‘alright, I’ll try it’, and I loved it. I was having day-to-day pain in my back, but now I don’t have any pain anymore.

“I've also built a really good relationship with Josh Manuel (Head of Strength and Athletic Development), he knows my body probably better than I do, so he's given me a great program in the strength and weights room to keep my body strong.”

Adelaide’s 2025 campaign kicks off with a clash against St Kilda at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, March 16.