Rory Sloane Biography

The judges for the 2024 Norm Smith Medal have been revealed as Jack Riewoldt (Fox, Chair), Riley Beveridge (AFL.com.au), Shaun Burgoyne (Channel Seven), Anna Harrington (AAP) and Rory Sloane (2024 Retiring Great, Adelaide Crows).

Rory Sloane announces his retirement, effective immediately, after 255 games and 16 years at the Crows.

The midfielder has not played in 2024 after requiring eye surgery on a detached retina in the pre-season, the second time he's undergone the procedure.

"I have given it my all to get back to playing and generally speaking my body is in great shape and I’m mentally fresh but ultimately, the risk of another eye injury is too great,” Sloane said.

"More so the impact it could have on my life and the potential for loss of vision. I’ve come to realise this is definitely not like the more common injuries you can get from playing the game.

"Our footy club is a special place and I have absolutely loved every minute of my career, and along the way I have grown and experienced so much as a person and footballer."

Rory Sloane is recovering at home after having surgery on a detached retina, with his return to training yet to be determined.

"The surgery has been a success and Rory is now in recovery," Adelaide high-performance manager Darren Burgess said.

"He will spend the next five days recovering at home, and given the nature of the injury, we will be guided by the specialists and his recovery before deciding on a return date for training."

Rory Sloane will extend his career into 2024 after signing a new one-year deal with Adelaide.

"I love where this club is heading, both on and off the field, and I'm excited by the growth we have seen this year," Sloane said.

"While we obviously train and play in an elite environment, I have often spoken about there being a local footy club feel about the place and it's what I love."

Adelaide has opened contract discussions with veteran midfielder Rory Sloane about playing on for a 16th season in 2024.

"What he has delivered this year has been absolutely unbelievable. To do his ACL last year, go through rehab and throw himself in, he has just been such a role model for our group," Crows CEO Tim Silvers said.

"And then to hand over the captaincy this year, play every game and have such a terrific output throughout this season, I couldn't speak more highly of him."

On the eve of his 250th game, Rory Sloane says he is keen to play on in 2024.

"I love football, I love playing for this club, I just love what I do. I'll continue to play until they boot me out of here and say we don't want you inside our four walls," he said.

Jordan Dawson is appointed Crows captain for the 2023 season, taking over the role from Rory Sloane.

"I could not be more excited to captain the club I barracked for growing up as a kid," Dawson said.

"Everyone at this club wants to win and have success and do it as quickly as we can, so I'm honoured to have the responsibility of driving that."

Rory Sloane says he is determined to get back to playing again after undergoing a right knee reconstruction for his injured ACL.

"I have had physios and HP (high performance) staff reinforce this, but having 11, 12 months to get as fit and fresh as you possibly can, that's a huge amount of time to get pretty healthy. So I look forward to sinking my teeth into it," Sloane said.

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says the rest of the leadership group will share captaincy duties following skipper Rory Sloane's ACL injury that has ruled him out for the rest of the season. The group includes Brodie Smith, Ben Keays, Reilly O'Brien and Tom Doedee.

"There's four guys there who are outstanding leaders in their own right and they will work through the rest of the year and make sure we have that leadership on-field," Nicks said.

Rory Sloane will miss the rest of 2022 after rupturing the ACL in his right knee during the Crows' 19-point win over Richmond.

"For me at 32 doing a knee is not ideal but it’s a great challenge to come back fitter and healthier, it’s a little reset on the body for me to go again," Sloane said.

"I’ve seen my sister Shae go through it before and I have been inspired by her positive attitude and diligent approach to her rehabilitation.

"While I’m obviously disappointed I won’t be on the field for the rest of the season I will be doing everything I can off it to help us keep improving."

Adelaide adds two new faces to its leadership group for 2022, namely Ben Keays and Reilly O'Brien. The two will serve under fourth-year skipper Rory Sloane along with Tom Doedee and Brodie Smith.

Matt Crouch will no longer be part of the group in 2022 following an injury-riddled 2021 in which he was unable to add to his 125-game career.

"We are blessed at this footy club to have a number of leaders within our playing group and the addition of both Reilly and Ben to the leadership group reflects the growth of our young team and the exciting direction we are heading," Crows coach Matthew Nicks said.

Rory Sloane will captain Adelaide for a fourth season in 2022.

"I love this club and it is a privilege to lead the playing group. But it’s not just one person, we have so many young leaders at our footy club not just within the leadership group and that’s what excites me," Sloane said.

"The standards at training show me the team is committed to building on the development we have made in the past two years in particular, and I’m excited by what we can do going forward."

Rory Sloane speaks of his conflicting emotions following teammate and friend Taylor Walker's racist comment, which has resulted in a six-game ban, a fine, and a public apology.

"Of course, I'm good friends with Tex and I care about him, but I have a lot of good friends in our footy club as well that I also care about and that's the balance at the moment, to make sure our Indigenous players are well looked after," Sloane said.

After seeing a specialist due to blurred vision, Rory Sloane will undergo surgery on a detached retina and will miss up to a month.

Adelaide announces an unchanged leadership group for 2021 with Rory Sloane remaining as skipper for 2021.

Sloane will be supported again by Tom Doedee, Tom Lynch, Brodie Smith and Matt Crouch.

"Rory typifies what we are about - selflessness, team-first, he is ruthlessly competitive and all about performing at the highest level and making others around him better," Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said.

"The fact that there have been no changes to the leadership group for 2021 reinforces our belief that the five players did an outstanding job in what was a very challenging year in 2020."

Rory Sloane will be sidelined for at least a month with a fractured hand after falling from a marking contest against West Coast.

"The latter stages of rehabilitation will be based on the return of function of Rory's thumb rather than a specific time frame," Crows head of science and medicine Steve Saunders explained.

Rory Sloane will be Adelaide's sole captain in 2020, after sharing co-captain duties in 2019 with Taylor Walker who has stepped down as a leader in 2020.

Sloane will be supported by Matt Crouch, Tom Lynch as well as new faces in Brodie Smith and Tom Doedee.

"Rory typifies the qualities and attributes that every club wants in its leaders and he was a standout choice as captain, and I am confident we have the right mix of players assisting him," Crows coach Matthew Nicks said.

"They have a positive influence on others and genuinely care for their teammates, as well as coaches and staff across the organisation, and set elite standards in the way they prepare and carry themselves both on and off the field."

Brad Crouch is awarded the Malcolm Blight medal for the first time after winning Adelaide's club champion award for the 2019 season.

Crouch donned the Crows' coveted gold jacket after finishing just five votes ahead of co-captain and fellow midfielder Rory Sloane.

In 2019, Crouch played all 22 games and averaged a career-best 30.2 possessions per game, passing the 30-mark in 12 of his 22 matches, to go with 5.5 clearances and 5.1 tackles, and also added 11 goals.

Rory Sloane and wife Belinda welcome a baby boy, Sonny Leo Sloane, into the world – just over a year after tragically losing their first child to a stillbirth.

The middle name is a tribute to their first son Leo, who was stillborn at 34 weeks on August 24, 2018.

Last month, the Sloanes bravely opened up about their experience in a moving interview to raise awareness and reduce the rate of stillbirths in Australia.

"It certainly helps us knowing that there's someone watching over us and he's always with us," Rory said about Leo.

Rory and Belinda Sloane share their heartbreaking story of losing Leo, who was stillborn on August 24, 2018.

"We got home, had dinner and got into bed, and I just said to Rory, 'I don’t think this is right, I haven't felt movement today'," Belinda said.

"We went to the hospital... (the nurse) popped the ultrasound on my belly and by that point we were 34 weeks so you know exactly where to look for the flicker of the heartbeat.

"As soon as I saw it, I could see there was no flicker. I said to her, 'there’s not a heartbeat, is there?', and she just said, 'no, unfortunately there's no heartbeat'.

"I can’t really remember the moments that followed that, to be honest, I couldn't cry, I was just in complete shock."

For Rory, nothing felt real in that moment.

"I'm just looking at Belinda and basically breaking down and going, 'this is not happening' - it didn't feel real at all," Rory said.

Adelaide names an extended seven-man leadership group to support new co-captains Taylor Walker and Rory Sloane in season 2019.

Josh Jenkins, Richard Douglas and Daniel Talia have been elevated into the leadership group, which also consists of last year's crop of Walker, Sloane, Tom Lynch and Matt Crouch.

"These guys were recognised by their peers because of the way they drive standards and live our values and behaviours, while training, playing and engaging in other activities around the club," Adelaide coach Don Pyke said.

"Importantly, they are quality young men away from football and they bring a diverse range of skills and qualities which will help drive our group forward."

Rory Sloane is elevated to co-captain at Adelaide alongside Taylor Walker for the 2019 AFL season.

"The development I've seen in 'Sloaney' in the past four or five years has been outstanding," Walker said.

"It was a no-brainer for me to get Sloaney up to help me. Sloaney, the type of guy he is, he just wanted to do anything that was going to help us with success."

Sloane said he had no hesitation in accepting Walker and Crows coach Don Pyke's offer.

"My first reaction was, is this going to help us be a better team and help us achieve what we're all essentially here for?" Sloane said.

"Both of them thought yes, so as I've always said, anything that's going to help this team get success, I'm all up for.

"I'm really chuffed to be co-captain and run out next to him."

All players will wear two black armbands in the opening round of the AFL finals to support the Varcoe and Sloane families.

Varcoe has put his hand up to play in the Magpies' qualifying final against West Coast following the death of his sister from injuries sustained in an AFL game.

Rory Sloane and his wife Belinda are mourning the loss of their first-born son Leo.

"The football industry does an incredible job to unite behind people who are going through adversity," said AFLPA boss Paul Marsh.

"Rory and Travis are two very popular members of the playing group and this gesture, albeit small, shows the level of respect players from across the competition have for each other."

Rory Sloane and wife Belinda mourn the loss of their first child after he was stillborn.

Sloane posted a photo on Instagram of the couple's son – named Leo Rory Sloane – along with a message of how grateful they were of having him in their lives, even for such a short amount of time.

"Last week we said goodbye to our beautiful little man," Sloane wrote in an Instagram post.

"Leo Rory Sloane was born into the world still, but perfect.

"Thanks for making us the proudest parents and filling our hearts with love beyond measure, the moments we had with you are now beautiful memories that will last a lifetime."

After much speculation from the media about his future, Rory Sloane signs a five-year deal to remain with the Crows until the end of 2023.

"This is a great footy club and I have said many times before how much I respect and love the place and people, particularly the playing group," Sloane said.

"There is always a lot to weigh up, especially given Belinda and I are about to start a family, and we have been in constant talks with the club for some time.

"I'm super excited about what the future holds, both from a personal and football perspective.

"We have created a great environment where there is a genuine care for each other and strong desire to achieve the ultimate success."

Cyril Rioli's retirement should give Hawthorn enough salary cap space to land both Tom Lynch and Rory Sloane.

The Hawks have been strongly linked to Lynch for much of this season, but face stiff competition from Richmond and Collingwood for the Gold Coast co-captain's signature if he decides to come home to Victoria.

More recently, Hawthorn has emerged as a contender for Adelaide star Sloane. Again, it will have a fight on its hands if he chooses to leave West Lakes, with St Kilda and Essendon among the clubs understood to have their hats in the ring.

Rory Sloane will play in his first game this week for the Crows since recovering from a minor strain of a Lisfranc ligament.

"We're bringing a guy back in who's infectious nature will get him so far, but he hasn't played in 10 weeks, so we have to make sure we manage him accordingly," Crows coach Don Pyke said.

Matt Crouch is set to become Adelaide's fourth captain this season as a spate of injuries strikes the club's leadership group.

Stand-in skipper Tom Lynch is expected to miss at least Sunday's away trip to Fremantle because of a side strain, his exact prognosis to be released on Tuesday.

With captain Taylor Walker (back/glute), vice-captain Rory Sloane (foot) and now Lynch sidelined, Crouch is the only member of the club's leadership group still fit.

Rory Sloane will miss at least another fortnight after reinjuring his troublesome right foot at training.

An innocuous incident at the club's main session saw Sloane suffer a Lisfranc ligament strain.

Rory Sloane and his wife, Belinda, take to Instagram to announce the coming of their first child.

The star midfielder comes out of contract at the end of 2018 and there has been industry chatter that Belinda wants to return home to Melbourne to be closer to family and further her career as a television presenter.

Taylor Walker will again captain Adelaide this season, but the Crows have added a new face to their leadership group.

The Crows have cut back the group of leaders from six players to four for 2018, with Walker remaining skipper for a fourth season and Rory Sloane his vice-captain.

Forward Tom Lynch has also retained his place in the leadership group, with All Australian midfielder Matt Crouch included for the first time.

Having been in last year's group, superstar Eddie Betts and Daniel Talia are no longer members, while Scott Thompson has retired.

Rory Sloane dimisses reports he is close to re-signing with Adelaide, insisting he has yet to make a decision about his football future.

Channel Nine reported on Monday night that Sloane was "very close" to recommitting to the Crows, with a four-year deal likely to be completed before the start of the home and away season.

"That is a bit strange. Things always get said in the media and if you listen to everything (as if) it's true then it would do your head in in the end," Sloane said.

"There is other stuff to consider. There is a person away from football as well, there is a Rory Sloane away from football that I also do think about and so you do need some thought.

"It's not just a simple process to tick off. That's 100 per cent honest from myself, that's as honest as I can be."

Crows chairman Rob Charman admits re-signing Rory Sloane will be a priority for the club in 2018.

"We know this is a big issue for us," Chapman told SEN radio.

"All I can say is we're going to be doing our best, putting our best foot forward to give him the opportunity to sign with us."

After enduring a hard tag from Sam Gibson in 2017, Rory Sloane says he will be happy to have the former Kangaroo, now Crows recruit, on the same team in 2018.

"I've played on Sam a few times and he touched me up last season, so it's going to be great not to have to run against him next year and be running with him this time," Sloane said.

Rory Sloane will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2018, but says he won't be rushed into a contract extension with the Crows.

"I'm not going to put a timeline on this sort of thing," Sloane told Adelaide radio station FIVEaa.

"It's a contract I will have to think long and hard about with (my wife) Belinda.

"Coming to the end of my career, you certainly have to look at what's best for yourself."

Matt Crouch claims his first Malcolm Blight medal as the Crows' best and fairest for 2017.

The 22-year-old was a clear winner on 315 votes ahead of two-time club champion Rory Sloane (253) and gun defender Rory Laird (226).

"It's a huge honour and something you don't expect," Crouch said.

"You see the names that have won it before me, so really honoured to be up there tonight."

Crouch finished the 2017 season as the league's leader in disposals with 825.

Jack Graham grew up supporting Adelaide and idolising star Crows midfielder Rory Sloane.

On Saturday, the teenager shut down Sloane in a Grand Final and was a key player in Richmond's breakthrough premiership.

"You don't want to be a prick of a thing, but I needed to do my role for the team and shut him down. I respect him so much as a player," Graham said.

"I was mainly pushing him under [the ball]. I'm not a really physical guy, I didn't want to bash him because I respect him so much so I just wanted to annoy him a little bit.

"Maybe I did [get under his skin] a bit but he's a great athlete and an amazing player who I've modelled my game off for the last three or four years. To be next to him was amazing."

They're the best of mates, but at the moment Rory Sloane cannoned into Patrick Dangerfield during the Crows' preliminary final against the Cats, they were the worst of enemies.

As Dangerfield looked to swoop on a loose ball late in the second term and feed the ball out to his skipper, Joel Selwood,

Sloane attacked the contest and collected Dangerfield with his right shoulder, sending both players sprawling.

As the ball was swept out of defensive 50 by the Crows, Dangerfield lay prone with his arm outstretched and had to be helped to his feet by the Geelong doctors before heading from the field to be assessed.

"That hurt," Sloane said of the bone-shaking collision.

"I did my best to stand up, but he's got such a strong body.

"He's such an unbelievable player and I'm such great mates with him. I respect him so much and I love the way he goes about it and I feel for him now.

"We both went in and that's the way we both play our footy and that's what I love about his footy, too."

Adelaide could be without vice-captain Rory Sloane for its qualifying final with Greater Western Sydney after being booked in to have his appendix removed.

Sloane was scheduled for a press conference but had abdominal pain and didn't report to the club.

Rory Sloane believes a tough conversation about his leadership shortcomings with his late coach Phil Walsh helped him become a more influential teammate.

Sloane was overlooked for the captaincy in the lead-up to the 2015 season, with Walsh choosing Taylor Walker to replace Nathan van Berlo. Sloane and Patrick Dangerfield had shared the captaincy duties in 2014 after injury forced van Berlo to miss the whole season.

"I still remember the chat I had with Phil when he told me 'Tex' was going to be captain. My first thought was how pumped I was for 'Tex'. My second reaction was, 'Right, what do I need to improve on (and) why wasn't it me?'," Sloane said in the fourth installment of The Chase video series.

"It was (about) giving feedback to guys and holding coaches accountable. He wanted to see more of that."

Crows captain Taylor Walker reveals Rory Sloane thought a Crows trainer was his Melbourne tagger Bernie Vince as medical staff tried to get him off the ground after being knocked out in Darwin.

"As soon as I walked over I saw in his eyes he wasn't with it and I recommended that he might go and sit on the bench," Walker said.

"He was pretty reluctant at first ... he thought one of the trainers was Bernie (Vince) and he said to him, 'Listen, Bernie, you're not my mate'."

Rory Sloane is knocked out after a tackle by Demon Dean Kent during the third quarter of the Crows' 46-point victory at TIO Stadium in Darwin.

Sloane landed awkwardly in the tackle with his head slamming into the turf, momentarily causing him to lose consciousness.

The Crows medical staff called for a stretcher, but as he was about to be lifted onto the stretcher, he twisted away and leapt to his feet.

He then appeared agitated and tried to argue that he wanted to stay on the ground, before eventually being persuaded to return to the bench by captain Taylor Walker and Eddie Betts where he remained for the rest of the match.

"He's that sort of player. He’s the sort of guy (if he) goes down, he's up and wants to keep playing," Crows coach Don Pyke said.

Rory Sloane bounces back from two tough weeks to notch 31 disposals against Brisbane despite having to deal with another tough tag from young Lion Nick Robertson.

"I thought he clearly won that battle from where I sat," Crows coach Don Pyke said.

"We always said with Rory, it was probably adapting to the change and the new focus of taggers coming to him.

"He learned a lot over the first two weeks and he was able to put that into practice tonight."

Rory Sloane admits he may have had the wrong approach after being shut down by taggers in Adelaide's back-to-back defeats against the Kangaroos and Demons.

"The times I've played well in previous years when I've had tags is just going out there and playing my style of footy, which should hold up winning some ball inside and then spread away (from the contest)," Sloane said.

"I'm not sure who will come to (tag) me, but I'm just going to get back to playing my way … and make sure my footy does the talking."

For the second week in a row, Rory Sloane's influence is severely curtailed with a hard tag.

Demons on-baller Bernie Vince was in the pocket of his former Crows teammate as Sloane was limited to just 11 possessions in the Crows' 41-point loss to Melbourne.

Last week, it was North Melbourne's Sam Gibson who did the tagging job on Sloane as the Kangaroos upset the then-unbeaten Adelaide in Hobart.

"We put Rory forward, we put Rory on the wing, he was on-ball, he was trying to make two v ones, he did a range of things, but it didn't work for him tonight," Adelaide coach Don Pyke said.

After becoming the Brownlow medal favourite in six rounds, Rory Sloane is limited to just 18 possessions whilst being tagged against North Melbourne.

Crows teammate Daniel Talia says the team will need to help out the star midfielder if he gets tagged.

"We've probably got to help Sloaney a bit more, find ways to get him loose and get him the ball," Talia said.

"If sides want to tag a player, you can manipulate it in ways. We've been able to do it in the past where they go to our player and we're able to free other guys up."

Rory Sloane is set to miss the entire JLT Community Series with a fractured eye socket.

"Unfortunately for Sloaney, he's fractured his eye socket during some contested work at training this morning," Crows general manager of high performance Matt Hass said.

"He will have surgery once the swelling reduces, which will likely rule him out of the pre-season competition."

Adelaide announces its 2017 leadership group on Monday, with Taylor Walker to continue as Crows captain for a third-straight season, supported by Eddie Betts, Tom Lynch, Rory Sloane, Scott Thompson and Daniel Talia.

Betts and Lynch have been voted into Adelaide's leadership group for the first time, while Rory Sloane has been elevated to vice-captain.

"Taylor has done an exceptional job as captain during my time at the club and has fittingly been returned to the role," Adelaide coach Don Pyke said.

"Rory is a great leader on and off the field for our players and he has deservedly been selected vice-captain. Daniel and Scott were both influential with their leadership last year and will continue to play an important role in 2017.

"Excitingly, Tom and Eddie have been recognised for their commitment to our team values and have been added to the group and both will be key contributors this season."

Rory Sloane joins illustrious company in becoming just the sixth player in Adelaide history to claim multiple Malcolm Blight Medals as the Crows' best and fairest for 2016.

Sloane (268) edged clear of Eddie Betts (249) with Tom Lynch (215), Daniel Talia (192) and Taylor Walker (185) rounding out the top five.

"This group we have at the moment is so young and driven and that gets me so excited for the years to come," Sloane said on accepting the award.

"We're not going to rest until we win a flag."

Rory Sloane's Brownlow Medal hopes are over after he accepted a one-match ban for his late spoil on Brad Ebert.

Sloane, who was among the top five contenders for this year's award, is now ineligible for the Brownlow.

Rory Sloane says he is disappointed and frustrated after accepting his one-game for rough conduct.

"Disappointed, frustrated on a few different levels, but there's not much I can do now," Sloane told Channel Seven.

"I'll just move on, keep training.

"I'll get ready for a couple weeks because we've got some finals to play and that's pretty important."

Rory Sloane talks about the day his friend and former teammate Patrick Dangerfield informed him that he would be leaving the Crows.

"It was a nice moment between us both. We just talked about it and reflected on the times we played together," Sloane said.

''As he let us know, that's a decision he made for his family and his partner Mardi. We completely understand it.

"He's given us eight years of very good service to the club and we respect him for that.''

Tex Walker is again named captain of the Crows for 2016.

Sam Jacobs and Richard Douglas have also been added to Adelaide's leadership group for 2016.

Jacobs and Douglas join Walker, Rory Sloane, Scott Thompson, Nathan van Berlo and Daniel Talia in the leadership group following a player vote.

Rory Sloane is set to miss another chunk of the AFL season because of a fractured cheekbone.

Sloane was hurt during Adelaide's win against the Brisbane Lions, fracturing the same cheekbone he did in round six.

Adelaide's head of football David Noble said Sloane would consult a surgeon to determine how long he would be sidelined.

"We'll get Rory into a specialist to decide the best course of action in the next few days," Adelaide's head of football David Noble said.

"We expect him to miss some weeks but we're not quite sure (how many)."

Rory Sloane is expected to miss up to six weeks after fracturing the same cheekbone for the second time this season.

Sloane gingerly left the Gabba during the third quarter of the Crows' 13-point victory over the Brisbane Lions after a heavy collision with Mitch Robinson.

Rory Sloane signs a three-year deal with Adelaide that will keep him at the Crows until the end of 2018.

"I have said many times before how much I respect and love this club and, in particular, the playing group," Sloane said.

"With the support of my fiancée Belinda and family, I have been in constant talks with the club and am thrilled to sign a new deal.

"Our club is built on a team-first attitude and elite standards and it allows us all to thrive and improve, and there is no doubt success lies ahead."

Rory Sloane says he is currently engaged in contract talks with Adelaide despite the media suggesting a move to St Kilda at the end of the year.

"I'm still talking to the footy club, there's just been this whole media circus around it," Sloane said.

"I haven't entertained other ideas yet, there's obviously stuff you think about when you're an out-of-contract player and that's the stuff you've got to work through.

"I love the way we're playing our team style of footy at the moment as well, that's always the style of footy I've wanted to play."

St Kilda coach Alan Richardson says the club will be keen to pursue Rory Sloane if he becomes available at the end of the season.

"We've gone to the draft to get elite talent and there will be a time when we will need to complement those young blokes," Richardson said.

"We'll look at the end of the year and if someone like Sloane was there then of course we would look at it because he is an outstanding player and he is an outstanding person."

Adelaide will be without Rory Sloane for up to six weeks, with the star midfielder set to have surgery to correct a fractured cheekbone.

Sloane cracked his cheekbone in the Crows' win over Gold Coast and scans revealed a depressed fracture.

"It's a fairly simple procedure to address the fracture … it's been depressed and it's just a little operation to press that bone back out," Crows head of football David Noble said about Sloane's upcoming surgery.

Out-of-contract midfielder Rory Sloane hints at staying with the Crows.

"I'm still really comfortable with where it's all sitting, (I am) still chatting with the club and you guys know better than anyone how I feel about Adelaide and the football club," Sloane said.

"That'll take care of itself pretty soon I'm sure.

"The standards we've been setting and the team-first attitude we have so far this pre-season excites me."

Crows football manager David Noble says there is no reason to panic about the contract status of star midfield duo Patrick Dangerfield and Rory Sloane.

"We are in constant dialogue with Rory's manager and with Paddy's, and we're very comfortable with where we are at with both of those guys at the moment," Noble told Crocmedia.

"We don't see that there's necessarily anything to panic about, we're really comfortable, in that we've got a bunch of other guys coming out of contract as well."

Adelaide names Taylor Walker as the club's captain for 2015, ahead of out-of-contract pair Rory Sloane and Patrick Dangerfield who served as co-captains in 2014.

Adelaide coach Phil Walsh says Walker epitomised his team-first philosophy.

"Since my first conversation with Taylor until (today) … he's all about making the team better," Walsh said.

"Early days I identified that he had a great influence around the group – you could see that straight away.

"When I came back after Christmas … Taylor's attributes shone even further."

Patrick Dangerfield and Rory Sloane are yet to commit to Adelaide beyond 2015, but the pair are still in the running for the club's captaincy.

Adelaide head of football David Noble said the club would choose the best possible captain, regardless of their contract status.

"I don't see that as an issue at all; I think you put your best people in place that are going to lead your club," Noble said.

"That's what we're expecting them to do.

"Fairly soon after Christmas something will be presented to the board and that needs to be ratified and then we'll let everyone know."

Daniel Talia has been promoted into the club's leadership group for the first time, replacing Sam Jacobs and Richard Douglas.

Talia joins 2014 members Nathan van Berlo, Patrick Dangerfield, Rory Sloane, Taylor Walker and Scott Thompson in the six-man group to lead in 2015.

"Each member of the group possesses a unique leadership style and as a group they complement each other well," Adelaide coach Phil Walsh said.

"All of them have a strong presence and what is best for the team sits at the forefront of their minds."

After being co-captains for Adelaide in 2014, Patrick Dangerfield and Rory Sloane back Nathan van Berlo to return as skipper in 2015.

"The work he's done this season without playing a game and while also managing the disappointment of knowing that the chances of him playing were really low – I couldn't speak more highly of him," Dangerfield said.

"He's a terrific guy, but an unbelievable leader. While you read and hear the external calls from outside the footy club, internally there is no doubt about who is the best person to lead the Adelaide Football Club.

"It would just be nice if people (outside the club) can follow the same line as the players, because we firmly believe Nathan is the right man for the job."

Daniel Talia is crowned the Crows' 2014 club champion, finishing strongly in a thrilling count to claim his first Malcolm Blight Medal.

Talia shared the lead with Patrick Dangerfield entering the final round on 72 votes, but his stellar performance on St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt in round 23 saw him clinch the award (79 votes) from Rory Sloane (77).

Dangerfield finished third (76) and only nine votes separated the top five, which was rounded out by Brodie Smith (72) and Sam Jacobs (70).

Out of contract next year, Adelaide acting co-captain Rory Sloane says he's not going anywhere.

Sloane will play his 100th game on Sunday against St Kilda but is only contracted with the Crows until the end of 2015.

"I actually love the city…and the club as well, to play 100 games here has been pretty special," Sloane said.

"(I'll) definitely look to stay and hopefully we can keep Tex (Walker) and Dange (Dangerfield) as well and all stick together."

Adelaide questions the AFL over Rory Sloane's disallowed goal that was overturned following a video review despite footage failing to show conclusively that the ball had hit the post.

"It was confusing, I was back in the centre preparing for a centre bounce ... I just heard the umpires saying 'We're asking for a review' and none of the Richmond players had remonstrated at that stage," Adelaide midfielder Richard Douglas said.

"All us players out on the field, including the Richmond players, thought it was a goal and the umpire initially called it a goal as well."

Patrick Dangerfield and Rory Sloane are named as co-captains of the Crows for the start of the 2014 season, standing in for the injured Nathan Van Berlo.

"Patrick and Rory are both developing into outstanding leaders," Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson said.

"They've exhibited an enormous amount of great leadership in the two years I've been at the club and they've gone to another level again this summer.

"If there's any silver lining in Nathan's injury, it's that these two 23-year-olds will be exposed to on-field captaincy roles a bit earlier than they otherwise would have."

Rory Sloane wins his first Malcolm Blight Medal as the Crow's best and fairest, capping a sensational personal season for the 23-year-old who averaged a career high 24 disposals a game.

Sloane finished just three votes ahead of 2010 winner Richard Douglas and 11 clear of Patrick Dangerfield and Daniel Talia.

"It was a tough year for the club and you always want to help your teammates as much as you can and I'm glad I did that," Sloane said.

"I always thought 'Dougy' was going to win this for sure for the second time.

"I'm very humbled having the year I've had and receiving the gold jacket and Malcolm Blight Medal, but you want to help your team get to finals and that's purely my goal for next season."

Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson says Rory Sloane's form is a good indicator of how the team generally performs.

"When he plays his flute, everyone follows", Brenton Sanderson said about Sloane.

"[Some] players are naturals when it comes to leading a group and he's certainly one of those."

Sloane says leadership is something he prides himself on.

"I think that's what makes a good leader; guys who can stand up in pressure situations and when a team needs you the most, your leaders are the ones who perform," Sloane said.

"I started well and dropped off in the middle part of the year, which is disappointing because that's when we lost a few key games that probably could have helped us make finals.

"That was something I was a bit disappointed with myself. As a leader of the club you really want to step up in those sorts of games."

Rory Sloane will miss the upcoming showdown with an eye injury after accidentally poking his eye during the Crows' clash against Fremantle.

Jimmy Bartel is ruled out of Brownlow Medal contention after accepting a one-match ban for a high bump on Adelaide's Rory Sloane.

Rory Sloane says he has no intentions of leaving Adelaide should the club decide to become aggressive at the trade table at the end of the year.

"It's my call, so I'll stay," Sloane said.

"That is part of the whole football industry, that sort of stuff will happen - hopefully it's not me that gets forced out, but I don't think it will be."

Adelaide declares midfielder Rory Sloane to be off-limits in the race to secure the first pick in this year's draft.

"I would hope not (that we'd trade him), it would want to be for 10 absolute champions," Crows football operations manager Phil Harper told AFL Live Radio.

"Love the way he plays footy and I'd go as far as to say, if we gave away Rory for the number one draft pick, or whatever it happened to be, I'd just about quit the game.

"This lad, if he took your daughter out, you'd be rapt … no I don't think we'll be giving away Rory."

Nathan van Berlo will captain the Crows for a third consecutive year, with Rory Sloane, Patrick Dangerfield, Scott Thompson, Sam Jacobs and Jason Porplyzia joining him in the leadership group.

"VB is the complete package when it comes to leadership," Crows coach Brenton Sanderson said.

"He leads by example and he understands our game plan - he is an extension of the coaching group in that respect. His relationship with the whole squad is fantastic.

"He lives the values of the club and of the players. He is the ultimate role model for our young players and the entire squad."

Adelaide has re-signed exciting midfielder Rory Sloane to a new three-year deal.

"It's good to have it done along with a few other guys and I'm pretty pumped about it all," Sloane said.

"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."

Brenton Sanderson heaped praise on the round 10 performance of emerging midfield star Rory Sloane.

Sloane tallied 33 possessions, collected nine clearances, kicked three goals and laid seven tackles as the Crows rallied from a Fremantle fightback to run away victors at Patersons Stadium.

"I know we'll talk about Rory Sloane's game for a long time as well. His importance around our midfield today was exceptional," Sanderson said.

"He was incredible. He was inspirational, the way that he played today."

Out-of-contract midfielder Rory Sloane says he, along with teammate Patrick Dangerfield, are keen to sign new deals with the Crows.

"We're (Sloane and Dangerfield) both loyal people, we're both enjoying our footy over here at the moment and I know we both love the way Brenton (Sanderson) is handling things," he said.

"It's a great feeling around the club and it's something that would be great to be involved in over the next couple of years."

Rory Sloane says he is enjoying being part of the Crows' leadership group.

"It's really helped my development," Sloane said.

"I think my communication levels out at training and on the ground have definitely gotten better. There's a lot to learn off younger blokes as well I reckon."

Patrick Dangerfield and Rory Sloane have been included in Adelaide's 2012 leadership group.

"Paddy and Rory have both had fantastic summers. They've showed not only to the new coaches, who have come into the group, but to the existing coaches that they're more than ready to be in the leadership group," Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson said.

"They've really stood out as the players that are ready to take that step. They can obviously both have an impact on match day with the way they play, but they also show a lot of empathy particularly towards the younger group of guys."

Rory Sloane's efforts to play on with a broken jaw against Hawthorn in round 1 of 2011 showed why he's so revered at West Lakes.

"I'm very fond of Rory Sloane as a player," Adelaide coach Neil Craig said.

"It's the enthusiasm and energy that he plays with and the contested part of his game. He's a great young man and he's very popular with the playing group, so hopefully he can be a 10-15-year player for our club."

Promising Adelaide midfielder Rory Sloane will miss up to four weeks after scans confirmed he suffered a broken thumb in their clash with Hawthorn.

Adelaide midfielder Rory Sloane has backed the Crows' rising group of young players to resist any temptation to move to the Greater Western Sydney Giants.

"Players might want something like a bit more team success, or a premiership. It depends how old guys are as well," Sloane said.

"There are a lot of factors that come into it, but we have a pretty tight group here and everyone enjoys each other's company, so I think we'll stay pretty tight and pretty close."

Adelaide coach Neil Craig praises the contested ball work of youngsters Rory Sloane and Patrick Dangerfield but says they must work on other parts of their game as well.

"I'm really pleased with Rory. I like the way he plays, his contested ball is exceptional already and his in-close work is very, very good for such a young player," he said.

"What we need to add to Rory is a bit more of an offensive part to his game and that will come as he becomes more experienced and spends more time on the training track.

"I'd put the same comment next to Patrick as well. Contested ball is in the elite area in the AFL for those guys, but they need to have an offensive competition to their game as well."

Promising 20-year-old pair Rory Sloane and Jared Petrenko agree to new deals with Adelaide.

"Rory and Jared were keen to recommit as they see a bright future with their mates here at West Lakes. We remain in discussion with several other players and their managers and will advise when any of these negotiations are finalised," football manager Phil Harper said.

Young Crow Rory Sloane will miss six weeks after straining ligaments in his left ankle when his leg was caught under an opponent in a tackle against Fremantle.

Young Adelaide midfielder Myke Cook says he believes him and teammate Rory Sloane have done enough to play for the Crows in round 1 against Fremantle, particularly with a number of Crows still recovering from injuries.

"Sloaney and I have both had good pre-seasons. The injuries have opened up spots, but I think we would be pretty close to getting games even if there was a full list to choose from," Cook said.

"We've played all four games and have managed to put a couple of good games together. There are obviously a few senior blokes coming back, but in the end we've done our best and now it's up to the selectors."

Rory Sloane will make his debut for the Crows against the Hawks at the MCG after impressing with SANFL club North Adelaide.

"I've been impressed with Rory since pre-season, but particularly his last three to four weeks in the SANFL. He's played really strong, hard and aggressive footy," Adelaide coach Neil Craig said.

"It gets another young player on our list exposed to AFL footy and with the way it falls it'll be at the MCG, on a Friday night against last year's premiers... it's a pretty special game for him."