Wayne wasn't a gifted or natural player but trained hard and became a highly respected centreman for the Centrals in Broken Hill.

[8] This included a five-goal performance against reigning premiers Hawthorn in round 10, which earned him an AFL Rising Star nomination.

[9] However, only three weeks later he was dropped from the senior side and played just one more match for the season, with coach Neil Craig wanting him to work on deficiencies in his game.

By Round 8, Walker led the Coleman Medal count before two separate suspensions for rough tackles cost him the chance to lead the league's goalscoring.

[11] In Round 5, 2013, against Carlton, Walker hyperextended his right knee and suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury requiring a full reconstruction and 12-month rehabilitation period.

[16] In the meantime, Walker made headlines by appearing on The Footy Show and agreeing to shave his famous mullet to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation.

[17] Walker made his return to competitive football early in the 2014 season in the Adelaide Crows reserves' side, kicking three goals in a 37-point loss to Glenelg.

[1] He returned to his best form in that year, finishing fourth in the Coleman Medal with 55 goals in the home-and-away season and leading the club inspirationally as they overcame the death of senior coach Phil Walsh to make the semi-finals.

[23] He worked hard to recover, going to extra training sessions in the week leading up to the match,[24] but was ultimately left out of the team.

[30] Walker missed the final match of the home and away season against West Coast due to a toe injury.

He scored his 441st goal for the club in Round 18 of the shortened 2020 season against Richmond, surpassing Tony Modra's previous record of 440.

[38] He was widely lauded for returning to near career-best form in 2021, after a disappointing 2020 season where many commentators were questioning his future in the game.

His return to form was highlighted with a match-winning goal against the previously unbeaten Melbourne in round 10, resulting in a one-point victory labelled as the "upset of the season".

Following five consecutive leading goalkicker awards at Adelaide, Walker's forward dominance was finally relinquished by the rise of young Darcy Fogarty in 2024.

[47] Following the conclusion of Adelaide's season, the out-of-contract Walker signed on for another year,[48] despite rumours that he could finish his career at a rival club.

[49] Greater Western Sydney free agent Isaac Cumming chose Adelaide as his club of destination in the off-season, citing Walker as an influence due to their shared Broken Hill roots.