ADELAIDE has refused to punish Taylor Walker for his "beer at the footy" controversy last weekend and included the out-of-favour forward in a 25-man squad to play the Brisbane Lions at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.

Walker was condemned by a section of the media after television cameras captured him having a beer while watching Broken Hill play Far North in the curtain-raiser to the game between Port Adelaide and Fremantle.

The 21-year-old, who was sent back to the SANFL in round eight to improve his defensive skills, had played for Norwood the night before and completed a recovery session for the Crows on Saturday morning.

Walker hasn't been disciplined by the club but coach Neil Craig, who admitted the sight of his player drinking in public was a "bad look", addressed the issue with the out-of-contract goalkicker during the week.

Craig said he was confident Walker had learned a lesson after a week of intense scrutiny.

"I'd be really surprised if Taylor did it again after what he's been through," Craig said on Thursday.

"Personally, I think he's paid a big price for something, which I'd have on the minor-end of the scale in real terms but that's the nature of the industry he works in.

"In terms of perception, I can't defend it. I don't have a problem with any of our players once they've played a game, if they want to consume alcohol in a responsible manner....the key issue is the place in which he was doing it.

"Twenty years ago, that was the accepted behaviour. Players could have a cigarette, or put in a betting slip at half-time and that was accepted.

"Society has changed about what is acceptable and what's not, and that's pretty much been my discussion with Taylor."

Craig also used the incident to remind his players of their role as an emergency for the team.

Walker wasn't selected as a travelling emergency for the clash with Collingwood, but Craig said it was important each of the emergencies prepared as though they were going to play.
 
"There was a very slim chance that Taylor could've been required to play for us and, maybe, he should've thought that one through a bit better," Craig said.

Craig conceded it had been a difficult week for Walker, who has also made headlines for failing to earn a recall to the Adelaide team and was reported when playing for Norwood.

He had the tribunal charge overturned on Tuesday night, and Craig said the gifted forward was keen to put the events of the last week behind him

"It's been a tough week for him and it'll continue to be a tough year for him in terms of publicity, not so much with what's gone on this week but whether he is or is not playing with us and the [speculation about] Greater Western Sydney," he said.

"Hopefully, he can just play some footy now either tomorrow night [for Norwood] or with us on Sunday."

The Crows are sweating on the fitness of two players ahead of the clash with the Lions, and won't finalise the team until Friday afternoon.

However, Craig did confirm former best and fairest winner Bernie Vince would make his return from a hamstring strain in the SANFL on Saturday.

Adelaide's impressive three quarters of football against the Magpies last weekend were soured by a disastrous final term, in which the reigning premiers kicked 11 unanswered goals to run out emphatic 43-point winners.

The Crows were able to halt a run of four straight goals in the first quarter of their clash with Gold Coast in round eight, but failed to halt Melbourne's momentum the week before and were steamrolled by 96 points.

"The techniques we use at the moment [to stop momentum swings] will hold up against certain opposition, but not the best opposition," Craig said.

"We were really poor in that last quarter [against Collingwood], and it's something we need to fix if we're going to continue to push forward and get better."

Katrina Gill covers Adelaide news for afl.com.au. Follow her on Twitter: @AFL_KatrinaGill