SUPERSTAR forward Taylor Walker wants to resume from his knee injury via the SANFL, ruling out an early return to the Crows' AFL side.
Coach Brenton Sanderson had declared Walker a chance to play for the Crows in their round one clash against Geelong on March 20, less than 12 months after rupturing his ACL against Carlton in round five, 2013.
But speaking to Triple M radio on Saturday morning, Walker said he would prefer to build his way back into competitive football through the Club’s SANFL reserves side.
“I think I’ll probably come back through the SANFL and whether the coach wants me to or not, that’ll be purely my decision,” Walker said.
“It’s important that [given] how quick the game is these days you can’t miss 12 months and come straight back in.
“I’ll definitely come back through the reserves.”
The 23-year-old said he was making progress in his rehabilitation from a knee reconstruction and was closing in on full fitness.
Walker has been running unaided since October, but said he still had to regain the agility in his recovering right knee.
“I’m pretty much running … I’m doing agility and stuff at probably 85-90 per cent,” he said.
“Now I’ll start doing more reactive stuff, more game stuff – tackling, landing – just to see how it’ll (knee) pop up.
“Then I’ll join in with the group and start to do more open drills.”
Walker maintained he could still be playing within the 12-month rehabilitation period standard for a knee reconstruction.
Having done everything asked of him by his surgeon and Adelaide’s fitness staff, he said that when selected he would run out confident in his knee and body.
“I had a conversation with the surgeon about [whether] if I was ready to go before 12 months would he let me play and he’s sort of on the cautious side of things,” he said.
“We’ll see how we go, if I’m ready to go before then I’ll definitely be putting my case forward.
“I’ll be really confident that I’ve done all the work, I’ve ticked every box, done everything right.
“I’m really confident with my knee at the moment and the power and strength is coming back which is good.”
Twitter: @AFL_Harry
