Taylor Walker during the AFL match between Essendon and Adelaide, Round 4, 2022 (Photo by Cameron Grimes / Zero Digital Media

Former Crows captain Taylor Walker looks set to be spared the lures of free agency and remain clad in tri-colours beyond the cessation of the 2022 season.

Since being drawn to the City of Churches with the 75th pick of the 2007 National Draft, the now mustachioed spearhead has gone on to slot a club-record 510 majors across the course of his 208 appearances.

Having missed Adelaide's opening three fixtures this season after being required to serve the back-end of a suspension for racially abusing former St Kilda forward Robbie Young, Walker has managed 21 goals from his 8 starts to date.

Although the 32-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the completion of the Crows' current fixture list, Adelaide's CEO Tim Silvers has claimed that the wheels regarding an extension have been set in motion.

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

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

Having inked a one-year contract in July of last year, it appears likely that a near-identical deal will be extended to Walker, irrespective of the veteran's recent spate of white-hot form.

With abundant similarities between this impending deal and the last, Silvers conceded that both Walker and the club's army of supporters were equipped with the knowledge of what lay ahead.

"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."

Taylor Walker during the AFL match between Essendon and Adelaide, Round 4, 2022 (Photo by Cameron Grimes / Zero Digital Media

Though West Lakes has been Walker's home for the past 15 seasons, recent reports have linked the Broken Hill-born forward with a shift to the Sunshine State at year's end.

According to Triple M Breakfast's Chris Dittmar in late May, "a club in the premiership window" (Brisbane) had been willing to extend a two-year deal Walker's way.

Dittmar later doubled down, suggesting that the Gold Coast Suns were also preparing themselves to offer a deal to the key forward.

Still, when speaking to Triple M himself last Tuesday, Walker stressed that he held a strong desire to remain exactly where he was.

"Number one is, do I want to stay in Adelaide? Yes, I do," Walker said.

"Is there a contract on the table at the moment? No there's not.

"So, certainly that's something that Dogga (Walker's manager Michael Doughty) is gonna have to negotiate for me, and I'm sure we'll get to an outcome sooner rather than later."

Although ink is yet to meet parchment, Adelaide's administrators, Walker and his management will be afforded a bye during Round 13 to help expedite their negotiations.

'Tex' and the Crows are next fixtured to face the Suns at Metricon Stadium on Sunday, June 19.