Crows co-captain Taylor Walker is determined not to become a springboard for high-flying West Coast forward Liam Ryan.

Against the Demons in Round Nine, Ryan took a potential Mark of the Year winner after launching off Melbourne star Max Gawn.

“What about his specky? He’d sit straight on my head,” Walker told Triple M’s Roo & Ditts.

“He was nearly sitting up in 1A in Virgin he got that high.”

Adelaide will face the Eagles this Saturday in Round 10 for Sir Douglas Nicholls Round.

Walker - who’s played alongside Indigenous greats such as Andrew McLeod, Eddie Betts and Graham Johncock - recognised how much the round meant to the players.

“I’ve played with a lot of great Indigenous players at the Adelaide Football Club, and you can just tell what it means to them,” Walker said.

“The whole week, they have a bit of pep in their step.

“It’s just their culture, their family and what it means to them. It’s very exciting.”

INJURY UPDATE: Three Crows face tests ahead of Round 10

From a competitive standpoint, however, Walker won’t be taking the Eagles lightly.

“They’re the reigning premiers, they’re a good side,” he said.

“I watched a bit of them on Friday night, they intercept the ball really well.

“We’ll need to be smart with our ball movement (against West Coast).”

Crows defenders Alex Keath and Kyle Hartigan escaped serious injury on Saturday, despite a brutal head-on collision in the third quarter.

Keath was able to return, but Hartigan was ruled out for the rest of the game.

“(It was) brave by both of them, they just clashed,” Walker said.

“The sound was sickening, Harto said he didn’t see it him (Keath) until the last second.

“Keathy has pulled up well, and Harto has a big scar on his head.”

Hartigan suffered a concussion in the knock and will undergo tests before the weekend.