Tex tough enough to take pressure

Adelaide midfielder Rory Sloane admits feeling some 'nervous energy' ahead of their round one clash with Essendon.

Crows No. 20 Sam Siggins and No. 13 Taylor Walker are ready for the 2013 season to kick off at AAMI Stadium against the Bombers. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: The Advertiser

ADELAIDE midfielder Rory Sloane has warned Taylor "Tex" Walker has never been stronger and backed him to handle the extra attention as the Crows begin their premiership tilt tonight.

Walker is expected to attract heavy scrutiny as the club's leading forward this year - without Kurt Tippett - even though some of the pressure will be alleviated by Josh Jenkins or Shaun McKernanan.

But Sloane said Walker had given every indication he is ready to meet the challenge.

"They will (sit on Walker) and that's going to be a tough challenge for him," Sloane said.

"But he's had a great pre-season. He's looking very strong, probably stronger than last year, and I think he'll manage those expectations.

"We've still got guys like 'Shaunie Mac' and Josh Jenkins that will play those tall forward roles and (ruckman) Sammy Jacobs will go down there.

"We like moving the ball quickly forward to give our guys the best opportunity and if it's one on one contest we back any of our guys in."

The searching spotlight on Walker comes as the club finds itself as one that has to deal with the pressure of growing expectations after making the finals in coach Brenton Sanderson's first year.

The other obvious player who will be targeted by other clubs is midfielder Patrick Dangerfield, who had a breakout season last season and finished seventh in the Brownlow Medal last season with 23 votes.

But Sloane was confident the depth of the Crows midfield would allow it to flourish even when Dangerfield or club champion Scott Thompson was shut down by negating tactics.

"I think Patty will definitely have his hands full," Sloane said.

"He's so damaging when he's up and going.

"But look, that's what was so good about our midfield group last year: we had Scott Thompson, `Danger', Nathan van Berlo ... a whole heap of guys and we had a really even contribution.

"So if one guy got shut down we'll have other guys who pop up and fill the gap."

Sloane predicted and intense response from Essendon to the off-field scandals in tonight's season opener.

But he predicted Adelaide would ignore the temptation to fire cheap shots at the Bombers. The Crows, who had their own fall-out after the Kurt Tippett affair, had too much on their own plate to consider.

"I think they'll be very aggressive at the ball and I think they're going to want their footy do the talking," Sloane said.

"I just think that's what they'll do ... it's going to be all guns blazing but not much talk.

"We haven't spoken about it all (sledging Essendon). I just don't think it's on the players' mind at all."

"We'll be focused on just playing footy, wanting to play some hard, contested footy."

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