'Do it for Phil': Tex's touching tribute to Walsh

Adelaide captain Taylor Walker has opened up about the death of former coach Phil Walsh and how it has affected their premiership hopes.

In a documentary for 20FOUR, Walker revealed he thinks about Walsh almost every time he plays or trains.

“I don’t reckon there’d be a day that I don’t drive to the footy club and think either ‘do it for Phil’ or think of him for some reason,” Walker told 20FOUR.

“I think it’s just because I’ve got a unique connection with him.

“I want to win a flag, potentially it might be a reality that we might play in the last day in September.

"I wouldn’t acknowledge it publicly but as an individual I would acknowledge what Phil created and built early on.

“We’ve been through some stuff that’s not meant to be and fingers crossed we’re coming out the right side of it now.”

Walker also opened up about the pre-dawn phone call he received about Walsh's death in 2015.

“It was our day off and I was lying in bed at quarter-to-five in the morning and I remember my phone vibrating next to my bed and it was Fages (CEO Andrew Fagan) and I thought ‘bugger you I’m not answering it’s my day off’,” Walker said.

“And he rang straight back and I instantly felt sick."

Walker said Fagan had to tell him twice that Walsh had been murdered before it sunk in.

“I was living with Crouchy at the time and I had to break the news to Brad, I ended up ringing my girlfriend and she had to come and pick us up.

“I had to tell Daniel Talia pretty much through his front fence ... I then had to go to VB’s house (Nathan Van Berlo) and knock on his door and tell him.

“Then drive down Port Road which felt like it went forever.”

Walker admitted to feeling responsible for taking care of his teammates and helping them grieve.

"I think there was a couple of times where I grieved by myself. I find it hard to grieve in front of people," he said.

"For a period of time I felt a sense of – I had to look after my little brothers.

"I'll hold on to it forever."

The man they call 'Tex' was named the league's best captain at last week's AFL Players Association awards, an appointment he has Walsh to thank for.

On Friday night he'll lead his Crows out in their preliminary final against Geelong, hoping to take Adelaide to a first grand final in nearly 20 years with Walsh firmly in his mind.