Taylor Walker

Taylor Walker (born 25 April 1990) is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is a former NSW Scholarship player with the club, and was drafted with pick 75 in the 2007 national draft. Walker previously captained Adelaide from 2015 to 2019. In September 2020, he kicked his 441st goal to become Adelaide's leading goalkicker. Early life Walker attended Willyama High School in Broken Hill. His father, Wayne, was a prominent footballer in Broken Hill who played more than 350 games. Wayne wasn't a gifted or natural player but trained hard and became a highly respected centreman for the Centrals in Broken Hill In 2006, Walker accepted a NSW Scholarship contract with Adelaide at the age of 16. However, he continued to play for his senior local amateur league team, North Broken Hill, in the Broken Hill Football League, leading them to the 2007 premiership with a seven-goal, best-on-ground performance, playing at centre half-forward. Football career Early career (2008–2011) Walker spent his first year at the Crows playing for in the SANFL, kicking more than 50 goals in the 2008 season. He made his AFL debut in round 1 the next season, against , and held his place in the side for the next 12 rounds. This included a five-goal performance against reigning premiers in round 10, which earned him an AFL Rising Star nomination. However, only three weeks later he was dropped from the senior side and played just one more match for the season, with coach Neil Craig wanting him to work on deficiencies in his game.