Adelaide will come to Perth with extra motivation for Friday night’s crunch clash against Fremantle, with club great Taylor Walker revealing this season will be his last.

Walker will call time on his 18-season career at year’s end, with the fifth-placed Crows set to use the retiring star as extra motivation in the hunt for their first premiership since 1998.

The spearhead is Adelaide’s all-time leading goalkicker with 706 and sits 27th on the AFL/VFL tally, with a chance to pass the likes of Dick Lee (707) and Nick Riewoldt (718) in the coming weeks.

Walker also holds the Optus Stadium record for highest individual score in a game, having booted 9.4 against West Coast there in 2023, and will be looking to help spearhead a boilover to on Friday to dent Freo’s hopes of securing the minor premiership.

“As a young kid from Broken Hill, I dreamed about one day playing for the Crows and I’m so grateful to have been able to live that life,” Walker said on Monday.

“I’ve shared the journey with so many great teammates, coaches and staff, as well as my family and friends, and I’m incredibly thankful for the role they’ve played in my career.

“To our members and supporters, thank you for riding every high and low with me, and your unwavering support is one of the reasons this club is such a special place.

“I’m going to leave the game with a great deal of pride, gratitude and a lifetime of memories, not to mention an ongoing sense of belonging to the Crows community.”

Walker’s 316 games place him behind only Andrew McLeod (340) and Tyson Edwards (321) for the most in Adelaide history.

The 36-year-old captained the club between 2015 and 2019, including leading the Crows to their sole grand final appearance this century in 2017, and made the All-Australian side in 2023.

Crows coach Matthew Nicks hailed the impact of ‘Tex’ across almost two decades at the club after he was snared with Pick 75 in the 2007 draft.

“Everyone sees the goals and big moments but those who have worked closely with Tex know the care he has for his teammates, our coaches and staff and the club,” Nicks said.

“He’s someone who led through actions as much as words.

“He was prepared to stand up when things were going well and, importantly, he stood tall when they weren’t.”