Carlton father-son prospect Cody Walker will return to Echuca this weekend for a match carrying special meaning for his family.
The highly rated Yorta Yorta teenager has been named to play for the Murray Bombers against Kyabram in the Goulburn Valley League's Archie Walker Indigenous Round.
The annual fixture was established by Walker's father, former Carlton player Andrew Walker, in 2018 to honour his grandfather, respected Yorta Yorta Elder Archie Walker.
Cody Walker told the Red Gum Review he was grateful to be available for the important occasion.
"It's a special day for all my family, I couldn't have asked for a better game to play," Walker said.
"Kyabram is always a big one and I hope it's a good game - which it will be, if we win by a lot."
The game could be Walker's final appearance for Echuca before he enters the AFL system.
He is considered one of the leading players in this year's national draft pool and is expected to attract an early bid in November.
Carlton has access to Walker as a father-son selection through Andrew, who played 202 AFL games for the Blues.
Walker's return to Echuca comes after he completed his commitments with Vic Country at the AFL U18 National Championships.
He co-captained the side, helped design its Indigenous jumper and was later named in the All Australian team.
A shoulder issue affected him during the championships, although Walker said he has recovered and is ready to return to the field.
He has also played for the Bendigo Pioneers, represented the AFL Academy, trained with Carlton and appeared for the Blues at VFL level this year.
Despite moving to Melbourne to further his football, Walker has remained closely connected to Echuca.
He has played junior football with the club since 2018 and has made eight senior appearances across the past two seasons.
His most recent senior match for Echuca came in last year's qualifying final against Rochester.
Walker finished with 32 disposals, 21 contested possessions, 13 clearances, 10 inside-50s and six tackles in a narrow loss.
Across four senior Goulburn Valley League matches in 2025, he averaged 26.8 disposals, 7.5 clearances and 7.2 score involvements.
Echuca president Justin Hatfield told Zero Hanger that Walker's willingness to return reflected his strong connection to the club.
"The world is at his feet, yet he still wants to come back and play with his mates, which speaks to the sort of person he is," Hatfield said.
Walker has regularly returned to Echuca between representative commitments and has continued to spend time with junior and senior players at the club.
Andrew Walker is expected to lead the pre-game proceedings before the big clash.
