Forward Taylor Walker says he’s “pulled up well” from his first game in nearly 12 months.

Walker, 24, made his long-awaited return from a serious knee injury in Adelaide’s SANFL clash with Glenelg on Friday night. The two-time Crows leading goalkicker got through the match unscathed and looked sharp, kicking 3.3 from 12 possessions and six marks in about 75 per cent game time.

See the full player statistics from Adelaide’s Round Six SANFL match

“I had a lot of nerves throughout the day (on Friday) and had to try to calm myself down, but once I got to the game I was actually very relaxed. It’s been a long 12 months. It was really exciting to get back out there and play with all the young boys,” Walker told Channel 7.

“I’ve pulled up really well, so I’m really happy.”

Walker didn’t hesitate to put reconstructed right knee to the test.

The classy goalkicker ran hard, crashed packs and showed some nice evasive skills to nearly snap the goal of the night on his left foot. The kick just missed to the right.

“I didn’t feel it (my knee) at all. I was really confident in the work I’ve done over the last 12 months that all my strength and power would stand up,” Walker said.

“For me, it was just about getting out there and having a run again. I haven’t had that much competition for 12 months, so it was good to feel the body contact again. I felt a little bit too eager in the first quarter, but I found my feet in the last three quarters and really enjoyed it.”

Walker proved he’s lost none of his power with his first goal.

The Broken Hill product got on the end of a pin-point kick from Shaun McKernan seven minutes into the first quarter. He lined up from outside 50m and set sail with his first goal in nearly 12 months.

Walker enjoyed it and so did his teammates, who ran from every position on the ground to celebrate with him.

“I had to try to get out of there (the huddle). The boys were rustling by hair up a fair bit, but it was really good,” Walker said.

Unfortunately, three goals from the star Crow weren’t enough to get the team over the line. Glenelg finished the game more strongly and ran out 37-point winners.

Walker is likely to have at least one more game in the SANFL before being considered for AFL selection. Adelaide’s next State League match is against the Port Magpies in Clare on Sunday afternoon. Walker said his sole focus this week would be on recovery after such a long lay-off.

“I’ll sit down with Sando at some stage. I haven’t put any timeframes on when I’ll be back to play seniors. I’ll just focus on this week and try to recover and get the body back feeling really good,” he said.

“It was good just to blow the cobwebs out and have a kick. To see 9,000 people out there was pretty good. It was a great atmosphere.”