Adelaide midfielder Rory Sloane says the Crows will continue to encourage Taylor Walker to be aggressive although he clearly needs to work on his tackling technique.
Walker on Tuesday accepted a three-match ban for a spear tackle on Richmond’s Steven Morris. The 22-year-old would have risked a four-game ban if he challenged the charge at the AFL tribunal.
A rising influence with 37 goals for the year, Walker was suspended for two matches in round seven for a similar sling tackle which dazed Geelong backman Harry Taylor.
He was also reprimanded in round five for making front-on contact to a Port Adelaide player.
A Richmond medical report said Morris had suffered after-effects from the crude tackle in Saturday’s game at AAMI Stadium, which meant the match-review panel upgraded the impact to medium.
Morris had scans for a neck injury but has been cleared of serious damage and is confident he’ll be fit to play in Saturday’s clash with Melbourne at the MCG.
Adelaide will be without Walker in Saturday night’s Showdown with Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.
“He’s obviously a bit angry and upset,” Sloane told reporters on Tuesday.
“He loves playing for us and he’s such a passionate guy, to miss three weeks, he’s a little bit disappointed.
“But we love the way he has been aggressive. We have been on to him about being aggressive in that defensive part of his game and he has been doing so.
“He has just got to tidy up on a few little technique issues. We’re certainly going to miss him.
“The AFL has made it pretty clear about where people have crossed the line and the tackles that they don’t want in the game at all.”
Morris said he held no grudge against Walker.
“You’ve got a split-second to make your decision. Sometimes you don’t get it quite right and I understand that,” Morris said on Tuesday.
“Taylor came up to me after the game and asked if I was okay and I appreciate that.
“Life goes on. There’s certainly no grudge held on my part.
“I just had a bit of neck stiffness and a bit of pain through my right-hand side.”
Hawthorn’s Brent Guerra, Essendon’s Stewart Crameri and St Kilda’s Brendon Goddard have also accepted suspensions.
Guerra will miss three games for his front-on bump to Carlton’s Eddie Betts.
Crameri is out for two games after pleading guilty to a rough-conduct charge against Bulldogs’ defender Dylan Addison, who’s been left nursing a fractured jaw.
Goddard has also been banned for two matches for striking North Melbourne’s Sam Wright.
Western Bulldogs’ midfielder Ryan Griffen has accepted an $1800 sanction for making negligent contact with an umpire.