Walker dodges key question in racism scandal

3 years ago 389

By Ben Glover and Melanie Dinjaski

Taylor Walker has near a unreality hanging implicit his playing aboriginal arsenic helium yet addressed the media astir the radical slur that's near his estimation successful tatters.

More than two weeks aft releasing a video apology that was wide criticised, Walker acknowledged there'd been "frustration" that helium chose a stage-managed apology, seated alongside unfortunate of the radical abuse, Robbie Young, but backed the conciliation process that had been laid retired and followed.

Taylor Walker of the Adelaide Crows (Nine)

He repeated overmuch of what he'd said successful that video, apologising to each Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander radical for the "pain" he'd caused but was evasive erstwhile asked if determination had been different times helium had made racist remarks successful the past.

Asked straight if helium had "used that benignant of connection anterior to this incident", Walker replied: "I'm profoundly remorseful for what I said and hopefully everyone present contiguous and the radical successful the satellite recognize the benignant of idiosyncratic I am. I'm ashamed of what I said and I've got immoderate enactment to bash truthful delight justice maine for what I bash from present connected in."

He dodged the question again aboriginal successful the property conference, and simply said: "I'm conscionable ashamed that what I said has caused truthful overmuch pain."

Walker's teary apology to Young

Walker admitted helium inactive had plentifulness of enactment to bash to repair relationships with his indigenous teammates astatine the Crows, saying: "The 4 Indigenous boys, they were truly unfastened and honorable with maine and I'm thankful for that due to the fact that it's going to assistance maine going guardant and knowing the symptom I've caused them and their community. And that's what I wanted, I wanted them to beryllium unfastened and honorable and they were."

"They were conscionable arsenic unfastened and honorable arsenic they could beryllium and it's present up to maine to repair that narration and reconcile and get immoderate much acquisition for myself due to the fact that intelligibly I'm not astatine the level," helium added.

"I apologised and they accepted it."

Eddie Betts speaks connected racism amid the Taylor Walker incident

Walker conceded that his footy vocation was not his absorption until helium was capable to hole the harm he'd caused, nevertheless helium expressed his involvement successful attending the club's champion and fairest nighttime connected Saturday, if helium is permitted to by the Crows.

"To maine astatine the moment, playing is not my priority. Repairing the relationships with the radical I've wounded is my main priority," helium said.

"It's up to maine to get to enactment and bash the things I said before.

"I'm not present to speech astir myself and my future, it's astir what I bash from present connected successful arsenic a person, I've got immoderate enactment to bash and I'll enactment my manus up and I'll ain this and I'm going to spell to enactment and bash the champion I can.

"I've spoken to a fewer players and they've said if the clip comes to that we'll get to that arsenic it comes."

Walker added that helium had spoken to his erstwhile Crows teammate Eddie Betts who voiced his disappointment and wounded connected Fox Footy's AFL360 aft the probe into Walker's racist remark went public.

"I've spoken to Eddie [Betts] and we had a large speech and, similar I said, I've caused truthful overmuch wounded to radical similar that and I conscionable can't accidental however atrocious I am," Walker said.

Cornes questions Walker's video apology

Walker became affectional arsenic helium explained that his actions had besides fto his household down and that helium had worked hard to process his initial, disappointing reaction, which helium described arsenic panic, denial and fear.

"When I was archetypal pushed connected this I was successful denial. I panicked and I was frightened and I thought astir myself," helium said.

"I fto clip spell and I said to myself 'This is not astir me, it's astir Robbie and the Adelaide officials and the symptom I've caused them', and that's erstwhile I said I'm coming guardant to ain this and I'll get amended for it.

"What I meant by that is I request immoderate acquisition and I astir apt misused the words, but what I meant was 'I request immoderate education' and helium expressed that helium was consenting to assistance successful that area.

"I anticipation that I'm not remembered for 1 remark and radical that cognize maine volition recognize the idiosyncratic that I am."

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