AFL’s stain of racism won’t go away, says Taylor Walker from Adelaide Crows

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Ex-Adelaide captain Taylor Walker has said the stain of his AFL racism suspension will never go away.

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Walker served three games of a six-game ban for making a racist comment during a state championship game last year.

“I was wrong,” Walker told Triple M radio on Friday.

“It’s something that’s always going to be there. It’s never going to go away.”

Walker was a spectator at an Adelaide reserve game when he made the racist remark to Adelaide’s Matt Crouch at quarter-time.

His comment was not heard by his target, Robbie Young of North Adelaide, but a Crows coach reported it to officials.

Taylor Walker was given a six-game suspension for alleged racial insult during an SAFL game in July. Morgan Hancock / Getty Images

After being suspended, Walker took the time to assess his future as a player before he and Crows officials decided he would serve the final year of his contract in 2022.

Adelaide’s all-time top scorer described the controversy as “one of the toughest things I’ve had to go through” before resuming official training with the Crows late last month.

“I was pretty nervous and anxious really… a bit of a stranger but the boys were pretty welcoming when I got back,” he said.

“Coming back and kicking soccer is what I love to do, so it’s been great to be back in the soccer club.”

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Walker traveled to Port Augusta, about 320 km north of Adelaide, last October with Indigenous teammates and club staff as part of his pledge to learn more about Indigenous issues.

“Again I was pretty nervous going out there but they were very supportive of me, the lovely community of Port Augusta,” he said.

“I learned so much and it was great to be able to go with young (Indigenous teammate) Tariek Newchurch, it’s his community.

“You don’t go through these things on your own.

“I have had a few people who have been tremendously supportive of me throughout this and I guess when you go through things like this you understand who your true friends, family and friends are.”

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