AS NEW Adelaide skipper Taylor Walker returns to his pre-knee injury best, most would expect opposition sides to reduce their focus on Josh Jenkins.
But Jenkins isn't counting on it.
The 25-year-old enjoyed a career-best season in 2014, announcing himself as a legitimate match-winner with 40 goals in 20 games.
With Walker firing, the Crows could boast one of the more potent attacks in the League this season, something that Jenkins said would mean an even spread of attention across the forward line.
The former basketballer made serious ground in his development last year and while he entered the pre-season with increased confidence, he said he had to lift again or risk stepping backwards.
To bank on the game getting easier because of Walker's improvement would be foolish.
"The game's such a challenge and it evolves so quickly that you can't afford to rest on your laurels otherwise you'll get swallowed up and you'll be back to square one," Jenkins said.
"Opposition teams have got a lot of good backs, so in the AFL you're going to come up against a pretty good opponent no matter where you play.
"[Walker's] obviously going to get a lot of attention but so is Eddie (Betts), and Lynchy (Tom Lynch) and Pods (James Podsiadly).
"Collectively we'll have to work together to get the outcome."
Jenkins and Walker are close friends and helped each other during their respective rehabilitations in 2013 – Walker with his knee and Jenkins a broken ankle.
He threw his support behind the club's new captain, although he said he wouldn't have predicted Walker's rise to the role after crossing to West Lakes from Essendon in 2011.
"Early days when I first got here, from the outside you probably wouldn't have labeled him as a captain because he's such a larrikin," he said.
"When you start to play some games with him you start to realise how impressive he is and how well he sees the game.
"We're fortunate that, whilst Tex has got the label, like 'Walshy' (coach Phil Walsh) said, there's a fair few other guys that can easily step up."
