Ellie Walker has opened up on how she felt listening to her husband Taylor’s words about her and their three children during his retirement speech.
Crows great Taylor Walker announced on Monday that he would be hanging up his boots at the end of this season after 19 seasons at the Club.
Ellie, who has been Taylor’s partner for the past 13 years, has ridden all the highs and the lows of his footballing career alongside him and together, the pair share children Hugo, Louis and Harriet.
During his speech, Taylor made a heartfelt tribute to Ellie, saying she “never stopped believing (in him)”, and labelled his three kids as his “greatest adventure”.
Speaking on SAFM Adelaide’s Bel, Bernie and Emma G breakfast show, Ellie said hearing it made her very emotional and proud.
“It still gets me, I feel like I tear up every time I listen to it, and I heard him practice that quite a few times,” Ellie said.
“He wrote it all, it was so beautiful, he just spoke so well, from the heart and was so genuine.
“I will admit, I got it off the phone and put it into the document and spaced it and printed it, but he wrote it all.
“I'm really excited for the next chapter, and I couldn't be prouder of Taylor's whole career. It's been an absolute delight to be there, right next to him through it all.”
Ellie also paid tribute to the Club, Walker’s past and present teammates and coaches for embracing their family and welcoming their kids into the fold.
“We wouldn't have been able to do this without all our beautiful friends and family, and that's the thing that I have loved so much about this football Club,” Ellie said.
“It feels like a family, Bern (Bernie Vince) and Bel (Rory Sloane’s wife), you're one of our best friends, both of you. Without footy, we wouldn't have had the beautiful relationships that we have.
“(The kids) really see all the boys at the footy Club as Dad's best friends They're like, ‘oh yeah, we get to have a kick with them’, so I think it's so beautiful.
“They're so innocent in this. They have no idea, and I'm sure in years to come, with all the photos that I always take, I think (Taylor) will look back on these, and so will the kids, and be so proud.”
One part of Taylor’s footy routine Ellie revealed she wouldn’t miss, however, was cooking bolognese pasta for him the night before each game.
Especially after Taylor tried to add tomato ketchup to the slow-cooked home-made sauce a few years back.
“We are retiring that the end of the season, never again will bolognese (be cooked) in my house ever again,” Ellie said.
“I lost it with him a few years ago. I said, "if you ever do that again, you can go and get canned bolognese, I’m not cooking this for six hours and you're putting (ketchup) sauce on it.”
