Crows midfielder Isaac Cumming has defended teammate Taylor Walker and the Crows 'faultless culture' after criticism stemmed from claims that out-of-contract Saints star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera would rule out a potential trade to Adelaide due to Walker's 2021 racism incident involving Indigenous SANFL player Robbie Young.
Cumming, who joined the Crows in the off-season as an unrestricted free agent after seven seasons at GWS, labelled Walker as a significant reason as to why he decided to choose Adelaide over Port Adelaide.
"Tex was a massive factor for me coming to the club," Cumming told media on Tuesday.
"Our relationship goes back a long time. I had similar options to what Nasiah has at the moment, Port or Crows, and Tex was a massive factor for me coming here in the end.
"Since I got here I can't fault the club's culture. We're a club full of great people, there is a great culture inside our four walls. We've obviously had a few hurdles this year but I absolutely love this place and love the people in it and can't wait to be here for the rest of my career."
Another player entrenched in controversy this past weekend was Hawthorn's Jack Ginnivan, receiving backlash for his wild celebratory antics against the Bulldogs on Thursday night. However, Cumming was quick to dismiss Ginnivan's behaviour as anything more than a bit of flair.
"It's obviously a big story but each to their own. There's players who like to do things their own way and he's no exception to that, but I don't think that moment adds anything to this Friday night game," Cumming said.
"It's another massive fixture, it's going to be good to play another Friday night blockbuster. The Hawks are back to their best at the moment so it's going to be a good matchup and one we cannot wait for."
Cumming has enjoyed a solid debut season with the Crows so far, playing in all 13 games. It's the first time since 2021 he's been able to string together at least 10 consecutive matches.
"I've been inconsistent the last few weeks but I think rain as a winger might not help that too much. Just being out there week after week is something I'm thankful for and contributing to good wins [for the club]," Cumming said.
"Any winger would say the same, sometimes it's your day, some days it's not. The good thing about our club is there's things that happen across the game and roles within our system that a winger is really pivotal.
"A lot of it is unrewarded running but when we come in for our review that's when we get a pat on the back and those things get acknowledged. So long as I keep doing those things and we keep winning, I'm not fussed."
Adelaide travel to Tasmania this week to take on Hawthorn on Friday night, a clash that looks to significantly bolster the winners' chances at a place in the top four.
