ADELAIDE midfielder Patrick Dangerfield says star forward Taylor Walker can be the Crows' finals hero, having "primed" himself for an explosive campaign on the back of a stellar regular season.

Walker has taken a huge step towards fulfilling his potential this season, booting a club and career-best 53 goals, which came from just 16 games (his average of just over three goals a game was second only to Hawthorn's Lance Franklin, who averaged nearly four).

Walker's round 22 performance against Melbourne, in which he collected 25 disposals, took 16 marks and kicked four goals, was proof of the 22-year-old's ability to tear a game apart.

Dangerfield said, despite Walker missing last week's thrashing of Gold Coast, the big forward was raring to go for Saturday's qualifying final against the Sydney Swans.

"I think Taylor Walker's had an outstanding season and key forwards are super important in finals, probably because it's a really contested style of game and I think there's a lot more long kicking in finals," he said.

"He's certainly primed himself and he's really ready to do some damage. We've seen it throughout the season, he's a special player and I'm really confident he's going to have a big finals campaign along with Kurt Tippett."

Dangerfield said Adelaide's list had 'x-factor' written all over it, adding the likes of Rory Sloane and Jared Petrenko as players capable of igniting the Crows when needed.

"Jared Petrenko's probably another one who, we've had a few games this season where we've just needed a spark and I think he's been able to provide that just with the intensity that he plays with," Dangerfield said.

"He's a player that we certainly look to for inspiration when things are tight because he can make things happen and he's almost impossible to tackle.

"Rory Sloane's another one who's had a really good season and he's a goal-kicking midfielder which makes him very dangerous."

But while endorsing his teammates as potential finals heroes, Dangerfield himself has all the makings of a big-game player.

Dangerfield, 22, has emerged this season as one of the most damaging players in the competition, combining a ferocious attack on the football and ability to win contested possession, with elite acceleration and precise skills.

At his best, the 'raging bull' has proven nearly impossible to stop.

Dangerfield admitted great players took their games to new heights when it counted and that's exactly what he wanted to do this September.

"Every player wants to play well in finals because that's what it's about, you look back at the Crows and you think your Mcleod's, your Jarman's, Ricciuto's, you think those names because they were big-game players," he said.

"Most of the great players have been big-game players and that's why we regard them as great players.

"That's something I certainly want to do."

Harry Thring is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry