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AAP
AAP
Sport
Steve Larkin

Crows will offer Walker new AFL deal: CEO

The Crows are set to offer former skipper Taylor Walker a contract extension to remain in Adelaide. (AAP)

Taylor Walker will soon be offered a contract extension by Adelaide as the AFL club forecasts aggressive approaches to free agency and trade periods.

The 32-year-old Walker falls off-contract at season's end with rival clubs including Brisbane rumoured to have put the feelers out regarding the Crows' all-time leading goalkicker.

But Adelaide's chief executive officer Tim Silvers says Walker will soon be offered a contract extension with the Crows.

"We haven't formalised negotiations but he knows that we want him as part of our future for next year," Silvers told Adelaide radio station 5AA.

"And I am sure it's not too far away from formalising a contract with Taylor."

Walker signed a one-year extension with the Crows in July last year.

The former Crows captain was suspended for six games by the AFL last August for making a racist comment at a state league match but has kicked 21 goals in eight matches since returning.

"It's like groundhog day in some ways," Silvers said.

"Exactly this time last year when we hit the bye, we started to commence formal discussions with Michael Doughty, his management, and we bedded down a contract really quickly."

The Crows, in 14th spot on the ladder with four wins from a dozen games, are destined to miss the finals for a fifth consecutive year since losing the 2017 grand final.

But Silvers said a rebuild of the playing list under third-year coach Matthew Nicks was well advanced.

"You can see that rebuilds that have worked ... they recruit top-end, high-end talent and try and draft them and have a group that comes through with you as a club," he said.

"That has been our focus over the last couple of years.

"Now we start to review and look at what else is out there, how can we top-up our list, how can we make it better ... so free agency and trade is going to be high on our agenda over the next couple of years."

Silvers refused to comment on specific targets, including South Australian Jason Horne-Francis, last year's No.1 draft pick in his first season at North Melbourne.

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