In an exclusive interview with carltonfc.com.au, Walker, the subject of interest from a number of clubs (most notably the Western Bulldogs) as a potential trade, said the meeting was called to resolve issues surrounding his best fit within the Carlton team.
And the 103-game footballer, this season employed as an attacking half-back flanker in the weeks and months since his recovery from a broken collarbone, stressed that the coach knew exactly where he was coming from.
“It was all handled really well,” Walker said of his meeting with Ratten. “We both sat down and decided that my best football would be played as an on-baller or up forward, and that’s where I thought I played my best football.
“It’s a pretty harsh world, AFL, and if you limit yourself and don’t express how you feel then your football’s going to slowly die off . . . and you want to get the most out of it.
“That was me going to them and saying ‘This is where I play my best football, and if I couldn’t have that opportunity here then I’d have to look for other opportunities to play as a midfielder or as a forward’.”
To that end, Walker is “grateful for and happy with the opportunity to stay here [knowing] that they’re going to continue to work on my development as a midfielder and as a forward from this year on”.
He said that confronting the issue was borne out of a general need to become more proactive about the place.
“Some of the feedback I got at the start of the year was that I needed to come out of my shell a little bit. I was in my seventh year at the club, and that was a big step for me, to go to the coaching staff and tell them how serious I was in playing these positions,” Walker said.
“That was riding on me for a little while, but to actually get it out and see how Carlton responded to it was great. It was so reassuring for my future. I knew that finally I’d done the right thing by myself by voicing my opinion about where I wanted to play.
“Secondly, you’re not always going to get the feedback you think you’re going to get, and ‘Rats’ was great with it. He said ‘We’re going to work really hard with you. We want you as a forward and we want you as a midfielder, but we also want you as a defender as well’.
“Now the pre-season’s only been going three or four days, but I’m starting to see the benefits of voicing my opinion . . .”
Walker added that he had since held talks with the club’s recently-appointed Assistant Coaches Alan Richardson and Gavin Brown, “and they’re happy to help with my development as a forward and a midfielder, and also as a defender if I have to go back there”.
He said he had again met with Ratten to work on his game strengths, and more particularly his deficiencies, to hasten his cause of playing up the ground.
As he said, “If we get them all right then there’s definitely a spot in the midfield/forward for me”.
Walker, who has a year to run on his contract, confirmed that both he and Carlton were initially amenable to a trade if circumstances suited.
“The club gave me permission to speak to other clubs, and other clubs were really good in communicating with Carlton, to let them know that I was going to speak to them,” Walker said.
“In the lead-up to trade week I obviously had to talk to other clubs to show that I was so interested in continuing with my AFL football and that I was going to be dedicated to whichever club I went to, to play as a midfielder or as a forward because that’s where I thought I’d play my best football.”
In the end, no suitable trade was forthcoming, and now, with the dramas of the meat market behind him, Walker is adamant the best years in Blue are ahead as he readies for the 2011 season and beyond.
Having this week taken line honours in the 3.2kilometre time trial around Princes Park, Walker is in no doubt he’s in the best shape in seven seasons since his much-heralded debut against West Coast all those years ago.
That happened in the fifth round of 2005, yet it’s worth noting that Walker is only 24 and now knows he’ll be played where he feels best suited, having performed so admirably up front in that narrow five-point loss to the Swans in the eliminator at ANZ Stadium.
“I was lucky enough to play the (Sydney) final as a forward, and show that I could definitely take on the job as a forward or defensive forward, and I know that I’ve got the tank to play as a midfielder,” Walker said.
“It’s terrific to return to pre-season knowing that your body’s at 100 per cent. I’m coming into my eighth year now and I’ve had seven years of surgeries going into pre-season, so it’s good to get off to a good start and hopefully I can enjoy the full pre-season.”
And he looks forward to building on the 100-game tally, which last season ensured his name was forever etched into the No.1 locker.
“You obviously aim for a Grand Final and finals football, but for me to get the name on the locker underneath ‘Sos’ (Stephen Silvagni), his father (Sergio) and ‘Kenny’ Hands was great,” Walker said.
“When I finally got my name on the locker I took a photo and actually kept it as a background on my mobile phone for a while. It (game no.100) was obviously a pretty proud moment, especially to carry the young boy out through the banner.”
