Adelaide veteran Taylor Walker says he believes the Crows are better placed to compete in September than they were 12 months ago.
The Crows locked in sixth spot with a victory against Greater Western Sydney on Saturday night, meaning they will host an Elimination Final at Adelaide Oval on Saturday, September 5.
This will be the Club’s second straight finals appearance, after it claimed the minor premiership last season, before falling to Collingwood and Hawthorn in successive weeks.
Speaking to Roo, Ditts and Loz on Triple M Adelaide Breakfast, Walker said the group learnt a lot from last year’s experience and was confident the group could produce a better outcome this time around.
“We probably got to the line last year pretty cooked to be honest, we had a lot of boys who were sore and tired when that first final hit,” Walker said.
“I feel like as a footy Club this year we’ve done it really smartly, we’ve got to the line and we’ve got guys in great form and feel like we’re just about to hit our straps as a group.
“We’ve connected quite well through this time, and feel like we’ve given ourselves the best opportunity to win the next four to five weeks in a row and see where it takes us.
“Obviously we want to win the Grand Final, so we need to win every single week now, that’s the simple equation for us.”
The finals series will serve as a swansong for Walker, who a fortnight ago announced he would be retiring at the end of the season.
He said he could not wait to take it all in across an exciting five weeks of footy.
“I just can’t wait, I woke up at 2.30am last night thinking about it, I’m just so excited,” Walker said.
“For the past four or five years I feel like I’ve been playing in this really relaxed state, and just been out there to enjoy what could be my last year or my last game.
“Now it’s just about lapping out every moment I’ve got left, and I can’t wait to go out and have fun in this finals series to be honest, it was nice to get on the end of a couple on the weekend and the boys really looked after me.
“All good things come to an end, and I’ve just got to enjoy what’s left, which is hopefully five weeks of good footy.”
