WHEN Adelaide's season was on the line, it was skipper Taylor Walker who responded.

This isn't the first time, nor the last, that Walker has stepped up when the Crows have needed him the most.

Those who question why he's been voted by his peers as the best captain in the competition for two years in a row only need to get the vision from Saturday's dramatic 10-point win against West Coast at Adelaide Oval.

Walker booted three goals to go with 22 possessions and 10 marks in a performance that dragged the Crows back from the brink.

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With his side trailing by 27 points late in the third quarter, Walker swung the momentum back with a clever toe-poke in mid-air for a vital goal.

Then, at the start of the last quarter, he went back and booted a huge goal from 55m out.

He followed that up soon after with a strong contested mark, before going back and converting.

It's those sort of plays when the game is on the line that Crows teammate Bryce Gibbs has noticed since joining the club this season.

"It's the way he demands effort on and off the field," Gibbs told AFL.com.au.

"He can win the game off his own boot, takes the game by the scruff of the neck and really has a great presence.

"His leadership's fantastic and he's great to play with."

Walker had a slow start to the season after coming in underdone due to a foot issue in the pre-season.

He was given a month off to build up his conditioning before making a shock return for the round 12 loss to Fremantle in Perth.

Walker's presence in the Crows' attacking structure is crucial to their ball movement and their ability to hit the scoreboard heavily.

The Crows booted six goals in the last quarter against the Eagles – after averaging only eight goals per game in their four successive losses.