AFL: The Crows have belted North Melbourne by 77 points at Adelaide Oval.
Taylor Walker celebrates one of his six goals in his first match as captain. Photo: Sarah Reed Source: News Corp Australia
THIRTY-SEVEN minutes. That's all it took to understand why new Adelaide coach Phil Walsh made Taylor Walker his first captain.
With the game's greatest forward Wayne Carey watching from the stands, Walker ensured the Walsh coaching era got off to a flying start, producing one of the great first captaincy games in VFL-AFL history at Adelaide Oval.
SCOTT: INSIPID KANGAROOS GOT AMBUSHED
By the eight-minute mark of the second quarter, Walker had hauled in 10 marks, destroyed two opponents - Joel Tippett and All-Australian full back Scott Thompson - and inspirationally set the Crows on their way to a 77-point thrashing of last year's preliminary finalist North Melbourne.
The 24-year-old affectionately known as "Tex'' had made a statement reminiscent of the great key forwards.
And his teammates followed in a dream head coaching debut for Walsh, whose first senior coaching stint was 20 years in the making after serving a two-decades-long apprenticeship as an assistant.
Taylor Walker was into everything against North Melbourne. Pic Mark Brake Source: News Corp Australia
By the time Walker had reached double-figures in marks - and been at the heart of most of Adelaide's forward thrusts - he had pushed his team 47 points clear and the match was as good as over.
There was a mini-fightback by the Kangaroos in the third quarter but Walker, who kicked six goals for the match, again stepped up to stop it.
His steadying goal from one of his 15 marks for the day ended a run of six unanswered goals from the Roos.
"A lot of people thought it wasn't the best decision to name him (Walker) captain,'' said Carey, who was on commentary duties.
AFL: Adelaide coach Phillip Walsh fronts the media after his side's 140-63 win over North Melbourne.
"On evidence of his first game he is relishing the role. If that's not a three-vote (Brownlow Medal game), I'll go he.''
Walker, 24, was controversially picked by Walsh as skipper ahead of midfield stars Patrick Dangerfield and Rory Sloane.
On Sunday's display, it was the right decision.
Walker - less than a year after returning from a knee reconstruction - finished with 15 marks, 22 disposals and 6.5.
Only some shoddy goalkicking let him down.
Brad Scott and captain Andrew Swallow lead the North Melbourne players from the ground. Photo by Michael Dodge. Source: Getty Images
Former Geelong, Port Adelaide and West Coast assistant Walsh, who has replaced sacked Brenton Sanderson, vowed he would bring a new hard edge to Adelaide and it was evident from the start of the premiership season opener.
His players hit the ground running, showcasing a tough, aggressive mindset which saw the often-prolific Roos kick just three goals in the first half.
They only got off the leash once - in the opening 14 minutes of the third term when they kicked six of their nine goals as North's Round 1 hoodoo continued.
The Kangaroos have now not won a round one encounter since 2009.
While Walker led from the front brilliantly, plenty of Crows enjoyed days out.
AFL: Adelaide coach Phillip Walsh fronts the media after his side's 140-63 win over North Melbourne.
Eddie Betts was superb as a small forward and midfielder, kicking four goals and having a game-high four score assists, onballers Dangerfield, Richard Douglas and Sloane were prolific, combining for 82 disposals, Rory Laird completely blanketed veteran superstar Brent Harvey, Brodie Smith was damaging on a wing and Daniel Talia was rock solid in defence.
In other positive signs for Adelaide, former skipper Nathan van Berlo made a successful comeback after missing the entire 2014 season with a ruptured Achilles and big-bodied midfielder Cam Ellis-Yolmen showed some good signs in just his second AFL game.
Former Bulldog Shaun Higgins was the Roos' best in his first match for his new club, kicking four classy goals.
Taylor Walker flies high against North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval. Pic Mark Brake Source: News Corp Australia
ADELAIDE 21.14 (140)
NORTH MELBOURNE 9.9 (63)
BEST - Adelaide: Walker, Betts, Dangerfield, Laird, Douglas, Sloane, Smith, Talia.
North: Higgins, Goldstein, Cunnington.
GOALS - Adelaide: Walker 6, Betts 4, Jenkins 3, Dangerfield, Sloane 2, Lynch, Smith, Cameron, Laird.
North: Higgins 4, Thomas 2, Bastinac, Petrie, Gibson.
INJURIES - Adelaide: Brown (thigh). North: Brown replaced in selected side by Jacobs.
UMPIRES - L. Fisher, M. Nicholls, J. Mollison.
CROWD - 46,491 at Adelaide Oval.
AFL: Patrick Dangerfield has produced a brilliant goal for the Crows in their 77-point thrashing of North Melbourne.
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED
1.TAYLOR WALKER can carry a team as its new captain, a forward system as its main go-to player and a club with its burning desire for on-field success. Seven marks in the first term by "Tex" was a phenomenal statement of intent. Defenders are shaking.
2.NEW Crows coach PHIL WALSH – just as he wants - will get fewer and fewer questions about his complete gameplan when it is so evident that he has "a team that is committed to playing for one another". And the playbook thrives on winning the 50-50 ball.
3.RORY LAIRD, with just 35 AFL games to his name, is a manic defender who will ignore taller players to attack the ball in the air just as eagerly as he does on the ground or in one-on-one match-ups with the game's stars such as Brent Harvey.
4.ATTACK is the best form of defence. All concerns for Adelaide's raw defence and the lack of a genuine second tall defender to partner Daniel Talia vanished to an effective team system that keeps the ball pinned at the Crows' goalfront.
5.NORTH MELBOURNE'S horrible record in season-openers deepens to now read: No win in Round One since 2009 – and only one victory since 2006. The flat-footed start, the high error rate and the inability to stop Adelaide's 10-goal run from late in the first term – and it was game over early.
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