Rory Sloane | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Full name | Rory Brandon Sloane | ||
Date of birth | 17 March 1990 | ||
Place of birth | Melbourne, Victoria | ||
Original team(s) | Eastern Ranges (TAC Cup) | ||
Draft | No. 44, 2008 national draft | ||
Debut | Round 20, 2009, Adelaide vs. Hawthorn, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground | ||
Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||
Weight | 82 kg (181 lb) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Playing career | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
2009–2024 | Adelaide | 255 (136) | |
Representative team honours | |||
Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
2020 | Victoria | 1 (0) | |
International team honours | |||
2017 | Australia | 2 (0) | |
Career highlights | |||
| |||
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Rory Brandon Sloane (born 17 March 1990) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Sloane is a dual Malcolm Blight Medallist, was selected in the All-Australian team in 2016, and won a Showdown Medal in 2017. Sloane served as Adelaide co-captain in 2019 and its sole captain from 2020 to 2022.
Rory Brandon Sloane [1] was born on 17 March 1990 [2] in Victoria. [3]
Growing up, Sloane supported the St Kilda Football Club. [4] He was first part of TAC Cup side Eastern Ranges under-18 side when he was only 16, and went on to captain Eastern Ranges in 2008. He was drafted by Adelaide with pick 44 in the 2008 AFL draft. [3]
Sloane strained a medial ligament in his knee prior to the start of the 2009 season but upon returning quickly forced his way into the North Adelaide seniors in the SANFL and showed strong form, prompting Adelaide coach Neil Craig to comment, "He'll be an exciting player for us in the future…our supporters will like Rory Sloane." [5] Sloane made his AFL debut in round 20 against Hawthorn. He did not record a kick but had seven tackles. [6]
Sloane played his second game in round 1, 2010, but sustained a serious ankle injury during the clash against Fremantle which saw him out of the side for several weeks. He returned to play 14 matches for the season, averaging more than 15 disposals as a midfielder. [6] He also signed a new contract with the Crows during the year. [7]
For the second consecutive year, Sloane was injured in the first game in 2011, against Hawthorn, and was sidelined for several weeks with a fractured jaw and broken thumb. [8] After returning, Sloane played out the remainder of the season, averaging 20 disposals and 5 tackles per game, including a 36-possession game against eventual premiers Geelong in round 21. He continued his emergence as a star midfielder in 2012, averaging 22 possessions and earning three Brownlow votes for best-on-ground in crucial wins over Sydney and Fremantle. [9] Midway through the year, he revealed he had signed a three-year deal with the Crows, saying, "The way Brenton [Sanderson] and the rest of the coaching staff have gone about creating this really enjoyable environment for us to be involved in - I think that's a big reason why everyone wants to stay around". [10] Sloane lifted his game yet again in 2013, averaging 23.5 possessions, winning the Malcolm Blight Medal for the best and fairest Crows player, and polling 15 votes in the Brownlow Medal. [9]
Due to the season-ending Achilles injury sustained by captain Nathan van Berlo during pre-season training in 2014, Sloane and Patrick Dangerfield were named as acting co-captains of the Adelaide Football Club for the 2014 season. [11] Sloane continued to thrive in 2014, finishing second in the Malcolm Blight Medal behind Daniel Talia. He played his 100th AFL game in round 23 against St Kilda. [9]
In June 2015, Sloane signed a three-year contract extension with Adelaide, keeping him at the club until 2018. [12] Sloane twice injured his cheekbone during the season, missing a total of five games, but despite that remained one of the club's elite players, finishing sixth in Adelaide's best and fairest. [9]
Sloane had an outstanding year in 2016, averaging 25 disposals and leading the club in contested possessions and tackles. [9] He was considered a contender for the Brownlow Medal before being suspended for rough conduct late in the season, rendering him ineligible for the award. [13] Sloane was rewarded with his second Malcolm Blight Medal as the club's best and fairest player, and was also named vice-captain in the 2016 All-Australian team while being the runner-up in the AFLPA Most Valuable Player award. [14]
Sloane had an outstanding start to 2017, winning the Showdown Medal in round 3 [15] and averaging 29.5 disposals per game while the Crows remained undefeated in the first six rounds. He started to struggle when other teams began heavily tagging him, Melbourne notably playing ex-Crow Bernie Vince on him, causing the Crows to lose their next two matches. [16] Sloane worked hard to improve against these tags, but again he struggled against Melbourne in round 17 when Vince kept him to just 8 possessions before he was knocked out in a Dean Kent tackle and sat out the rest of the game. [17] Before Adelaide's qualifying final against Greater Western Sydney, Sloane had surgery to have his appendix removed and was forced to miss the match. [18] Sloane's strong performances throughout the season were respected by his teammates, who nominated him for both the AFL Players' Association MVP Award and the Most Courageous Award. [19]
Sloane's future was up in the air during the 2018 season as multiple clubs were eager to lure him back to his home state in Victoria, with Collingwood looming as a likely suitor. However, in a move that surprised many, Sloane re-signed for a further five years to commit the rest of his career to Adelaide. [20]
In 2019, Sloane was appointed as co-captain of the Adelaide Football Club alongside Taylor Walker.
In 2020, Sloane assumed the sole captaincy and in round one played his 200th AFL game against the Sydney Swans at the Adelaide Oval, [21] which the Crows lost by three points. [22] Despite the club's least successful year in their history, Sloane continued to serve as captain during the majority of Adelaide's games and amassed 3 Brownlow votes.
Sloane injured his knee in Adelaide's win over Richmond in round 5 of the 2022 season; scans later confirmed a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. [23] The role of club captain was rotated between Tom Doedee, Ben Keays, Reilly O'Brien and Brodie Smith. Prior to the 2023 season, Sloane handed over the captaincy to emerging recruit Jordan Dawson and stepped down from the leadership group entirely. [24] Sloane played his 250th game in a loss to Greater Western Sydney at the Adelaide Oval in 2023.
Following a mid-season surgery for the same issue in 2021, [25] Sloane again went under surgery for a detached retina. Although his recovery appeared to be progressing better than in 2021, [26] Sloane announced his retirement in April 2024, choosing to prioritise his long-term health and wellbeing. [27] His 255th and final game was played in a narrow loss to Sydney in round 23 of the 2023 season. At the time of his retirement, Sloane had played the 10th-most games of any Adelaide player and amassed the fourth-most Brownlow Medal votes for Adelaide with 108. [28]
Sloane features in the 2021 fly-on-the-wall documentary TV series Making Their Mark , which showed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on several AFL clubs, players, and staff. [29] [30] Nic Naitanui and Eddie Betts were filmed almost continuously, with other players featured including Stephen Coniglio and Sloane, along with several coaches and other staff associated with the clubs. [31]
Sloane has an older brother named Dylan and a younger sister named Shae, a former professional footballer for Melbourne [32] and volleyballer for Australia.
Sloane has a strong friendship with fellow draftee Taylor Walker. They played 199 games together for Adelaide until Sloane's retirement in 2024. Their families are very close, with their children being similar ages.
Sloane is husband to wife Belinda Sloane, née Riverso. The couple married in October of 2016. [33] Rory and Belinda had four children together; Leo, Sonny, Bodhi, and Summer. [34] Tragically, the couple's first son Leo was stillborn after the 34th week of pregnancy. [35] Sloane's third son Bodhi has the middle name Leo to commemorate their first. [36]
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks | ||
† | Led the league for the season |
Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
2009 | Adelaide | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 0 |
2010 | Adelaide | 31 | 14 | 7 | 8 | 88 | 124 | 212 | 44 | 49 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 6.3 | 8.9 | 15.1 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 0 |
2011 | Adelaide | 9 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 181 | 184 | 365 | 73 | 91 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 20.3 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 4 |
2012 | Adelaide | 9 | 24 | 19 | 6 | 301 | 222 | 523 | 113 | 101 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 12.5 | 9.3 | 21.8 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 11 |
2013 | Adelaide | 9 | 21 | 12 | 12 | 257 | 237 | 494 | 113 | 83 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 12.2 | 11.3 | 23.5 | 5.4 | 4.0 | 15 |
2014 | Adelaide | 9 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 269 | 252 | 521 | 105 | 147 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 12.2 | 11.5 | 23.7 | 4.8 | 6.7 | 10 |
2015 | Adelaide | 9 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 192 | 208 | 400 | 78 | 100 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 10.7 | 11.6 | 22.2 | 4.3 | 5.6 | 4 |
2016 | Adelaide | 9 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 271 | 309 | 580 | 88 | 163 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 25.2 | 3.8 | 7.1 | 24 |
2017 | Adelaide | 9 | 24 | 20 | 7 | 314 | 267 | 581 | 75 | 187† | 0.8 | 0.3 | 13.1 | 11.1 | 24.2 | 3.1 | 7.8 | 20 |
2018 | Adelaide | 9 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 126 | 137 | 263 | 33 | 75 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 10.5 | 11.4 | 21.9 | 2.8 | 6.3 | 6 |
2019 | Adelaide | 9 | 22 | 11 | 9 | 266 | 275 | 541 | 97 | 129 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 12.1 | 12.5 | 24.6 | 4.4 | 5.9 | 7 |
2020 [lower-alpha 1] | Adelaide | 9 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 92 | 97 | 189 | 15 | 49 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 15.8 | 1.3 | 4.1 | 3 |
2021 | Adelaide | 9 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 198 | 204 | 402 | 67 | 87 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 11.0 | 11.3 | 22.3 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 2 |
2022 | Adelaide | 9 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 36 | 72 | 12 | 17 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 18.0 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 0 |
2023 | Adelaide | 9 | 22 | 6 | 2 | 212 | 187 | 399 | 69 | 113 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 9.6 | 8.5 | 18.1 | 3.1 | 5.1 | 2 |
2024 | Adelaide | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
Career [37] | 255 | 136 | 88 | 2803 | 2745 | 5548 | 983 | 1398 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 11.0 | 10.8 | 21.8 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 108 |
Notes
Team
Individual
The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed the Crows, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Adelaide, South Australia that was founded in 1990. The Crows have fielded a men's team in the Australian Football League (AFL) since 1991, and a women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition since 2017. The club's offices and training facilities are located in the western Adelaide suburb of West Lakes, at the site of the club's former home ground Football Park. Since 2014 Adelaide have played home matches at the Adelaide Oval, a 53,500-seat stadium located on the northern bank on the River Torrens in North Adelaide.
The Malcolm Blight Medal is a post-season award given to the best and fairest player for the Adelaide Football Club. The medal was first awarded in 1991, and later named after former Adelaide Crows coach Malcolm Blight. The voting system as of the 2017 AFL season, consists of five coaches giving each player a ranking from zero to four after each match. Players can receive a maximum of 20 votes for a game.
Scott Thompson is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club and Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by Melbourne with pick 16 in the 2000 national draft from Port Adelaide in the SANFL, and was traded to Adelaide after the 2004 season.
Sam Jacobs is a former professional Australian rules football player who played for the Greater Western Sydney Giants, Adelaide Crows and Carlton Blues in the Australian Football League (AFL). Originally from Woodville-West Torrens in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), Jacobs was selected by Carlton with pick 1 in the 2007 Rookie Draft. He was traded to Adelaide following the 2010 season. After the 2019 season Jacobs was again traded from Adelaide to Greater Western Sydney Giants. After a Covid affected 2020, Jacobs retired after 14 AFL Seasons.
Travis Alexander Boak is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Boak captained the club from 2013 to 2018, and is the club's AFL games record holder with 355 games. He is also a three-time All-Australian, dual John Cahill Medallist and three-time Showdown Medallist.
Richard Joseph Edwin Douglas is a former Australian rules football player who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by Adelaide with pick 16 in the 2005 national draft.
Patrick Dangerfield is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Adelaide Football Club from 2008 to 2015. He has served as Geelong captain since the 2023 season.
Andrew Otten is a former professional Australian rules football player who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Otten was Adelaide’s second selection in the 2007 National Draft, pick 27 overall, having recorded strong results at the 2007 NAB AFL Draft Camp ranking in the top 2% for the vertical leap (92 cm), top ten for agility and the top 20% for the beep test (14.2).
Taylor "Tex" Walker is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is a former NSW Scholarship player with the club, and was drafted with pick 75 in the 2007 national draft. Walker previously captained Adelaide from 2015 to 2019.
Daniel Talia is a former professional Australian rules football player who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted with selection 13 in the 2009 National Draft from the Calder Cannons. In 2012 he won the AFL Rising Star award as the best young player in the league. Talia is the great-grandson of former Footscray player Arthur Stevens, and the grandson of Harvey Stevens who played in Footscray's 1954 VFL Grand Final victory. His younger brother, Michael Talia, played for the Western Bulldogs before being traded to the Sydney Swans after the 2015 season.
Bradley Crouch is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the Adelaide Football Club with the second selection in the 2011 mini-draft. He is the older brother and former teammate of Matt Crouch. Crouch and his family are from Beaufort, near Ballarat in Victoria.
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Rory Laird is a professional Australian rules football player who plays for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by Adelaide with pick 5 in the 2011 Rookie Draft.
Mitch Grigg is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited from Norwood Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) with selection 41 in the 2011 national draft. He won the Magarey Medal in 2017 and 2018 playing for the Norwood Football Club.
Matt Crouch is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the Adelaide Football Club with pick 23 in the 2013 national draft. He is the younger brother and former teammate of Brad Crouch.
The 2017 Adelaide Football Club season is the 27th season in the Australian Football League and the 1st season in the AFL Women's competition contested by the Adelaide Football Club.
The history of the Adelaide Football Club dates back to their founding in 1990, when the Australian Football League (AFL) approved a license application by the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) to base a new club out of Adelaide, South Australia in the expanding AFL competition. The club also operates a side in the AFL Women's competition, which held its first season in 2017.
Jordan Dawson is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Sydney Swans from 2016 to 2021. Dawson was named in the 2023 All-Australian team and won the Malcolm Blight Medal in 2023, and is a dual Showdown Medallist. He has served as Adelaide captain since 2023.
Jordan Gallucci is a former professional Australian rules footballer, last playing for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by Adelaide with their first selection and fifteenth overall in the 2016 national draft. He made his debut in the 80-point win against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba in round nine of the 2017 season.
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