ADELAIDE coach Matthew Nicks is facing a "hard conversation" with veteran Taylor Walker, who is no longer in the Crows' best 22, according to former Port Adelaide player, Kane Cornes.
In First Up with Kane Cornes on AFL.com.au on Sunday night, Cornes said Walker is no longer the star of Adelaide's forward line as the Crows' other key targets have stepped up.
Walker, the club's all-time leading goalkicker, was subbed out for debutant Sid Draper in the third quarter on Sunday afternoon as the Crows smashed St Kilda by 63 points.
Cornes believes Walker, who debuted way back in 2009, won't be the dominant force on the field this year that he has been across more than 15 years.
"There's a hard conversation to be had with Taylor Walker. He's not in their best 22," Cornes said.
"He's a good depth player for them now but it's (Riley) Thilthorpe and (Darcy) Fogarty's forward line. We saw that (against the Saints), with him getting subbed out.
"So that's the tricky one for Matthew Nicks on how he handles a champion of the footy club."
Walker only kicked one of Adelaide's 21 goals in his two-and-a-half quarters of football on Sunday as Fogarty (four goals) and Thilthorpe (three) took charge of the forward line in their dominant performance against the Saints.
Cornes praised Nicks for making some key positional changes, particularly as captain Jordan Dawson and Izak Rankine shared a midfield-forward role to kick two goals apiece.
"That's where all the best midfielders play," Cornes said.
"That's where (Christian) Petracca plays. That's where (Isaac) Heeney plays. That's where, when (Jordan) De Goey is fit, he's played. That's where Dustin Martin played. That's another added bonus for Adelaide, if [Dawson] can do that.
"We know Rankine's gone into the midfield, but he hardly went forward today. It was majority midfield, so that's going to be a huge bonus for them if he can stay fit."
With a strong new-look forward line bolstered by Dawson and Rankine, Cornes believes Adelaide can rise from a bottom four side in 2024 to a preliminary final this year.
"Matthew Nicks has really done a good thing by revitalising the group," Cornes said.
"I think they're capable of playing in a preliminary final. I really do.
"They got a bit boring last year with their ball movement, they played it a bit safe, and I don't think they'll do that (this year). There's a bit more flair in the line-up personnel wise. They're tough, they're really tough, they're contested (and) they pressure the opposition.
"So their game is in really sound order and then you let your star players go to work.
"Adelaide [is] the real deal."
