When former Crow Brodie Smith thinks of Taylor Walker, his mind doesn’t go straight to the goals, the games or the accolades.

He thinks of a teammate and friend who led from the front, put an arm around players when they were down, delivered tough love when needed and was not afraid to have a laugh.

The pair spent 16 seasons as teammates at West Lakes and, over that time, forged a bond that extended well beyond football, with Smith hanging up his playing boots at the end of last season.

Following Walker's announcement that 2026 would be his final season, Smith reflected on their journey together on this week's episode of Crows Chat.

“He was certainly a guy that I've lent on throughout my whole career, but especially the last two years,” Smith said.

“When times were tough, when I wasn’t in the side when I thought I should be or when I wasn’t going well, he was always there to put his arm around me.

“I've always referred to him as like the big brother of the group. He's always had your back. He would give you a kick up the butt when he needed it, but then when you needed a hug, he was the first one there to get around you and look after you.

“That's why everyone loves him so much.”

The pair’s friendship did, however, take a couple of years to fully blossom, with Smith revealing he was at first too shy to actually speak to the player who would later become his Captain.

“I was called Humphrey Bear for the first two years, I didn't talk, so I didn't get to know Tex until he was about 23,” Smith recalled.

“A big kid is a good way to still sum him up. He's such an alpha and such a big presence on-field, you walk taller with him around you, and you know he's got your back no matter what. 

“But he is also just a big, silly kid. He's just so immature around the footy Club, but then at the same time, he's got the leadership ability to captain the footy Club, and then with Walshy's (former coach Phil Walsh) year, and with Walshy passing, and the way that he was able to lead the footy Club with Sloaney, not many people are able to do that. 

“At the same time, he's sitting at the back of the meeting rooms, banging his head against the glass to try and annoy people and get a reaction and all of that sort of schoolkid sort of stuff. There's two different ends of the Texan, and you love both sides.”

Walker’s decision to hang up his AFL boots at season’s end comes after a 19-season long career, and, in which, he has earned the title as one of the greatest Crows to pull on the guernsey.

To this point, Walker has played 316 games and kicked more than 700 goals – making him the Crows’ all-time leading goalkicker.

Smith said Walker would be widely missed around the footy Club.

“It's been a great week to celebrate and it's been an emotional week for everyone,” Smith said.

“You’ve seen the outpouring of emotion this week, but I think people don't actually understand the hole he's going to leave in that footy Club. 

“He's just such a big presence, and whether it's around the changerooms or you amongst everyone throughout the Club, not just the players, and then obviously the on-field hole that he's going to leave as well. 

“It’s going to be strange. I know Lairdy’s (Rory Laird) already petrified next year going into the footy Club without Tex there and myself. He's going to be the oldest guy, so it's a massive hole that he's going to leave and knowing last year was going to be my last, I cherished every moment I got to play alongside him.”

To hear more from Smith on Walker, plus AFLW Skipper Ebony Marinoff preview our season opener against Sydney, tune in to Crows Chat on Triple M or Spotify at 10am on Sunday.

Missed an episode of Crows Chat this year? Catch up here.