Former Crow Rory Sloane tipped to replace Kane Cornes on Channel 9’s Footy Classified

A former Crow is tipped to fill the big shoes of departing media superstar Kane Cornes next year.

Rory Sloane is widely tipped to replace Kane Cornes on Footy Classified next year.

The retired Crow is understood to be the “frontrunner” to fill Cornes’s hot seat on the Monday edition of Nine’s footy show, following the Port champion’s much-publicised defection to Channel 7.

Sloane, who hung up the boots in April after 255 games and 16 seasons at Adelaide, had been approached about a coaching position at Melbourne, but turned the role down.

Last month, Sloane admitted he was still undecided about his future.

Rory Sloane could replace Kane Cornes on Footy Classified. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

New Channel 7 star Kane Cornes. Picture: Supplied

“I’ve been taking calls, meetings, seeing what’s going to be best,” he told AFL Trade Radio.

“I love footy … and I’ve been so used to being a player for 16 years, so it’s probably about discovering what’s out there and what I’m going to enjoy doing. Hopefully I’ll find out and make a call in the coming weeks or months.”

Channel 9 declined to confirm Sloane’s appointment but said the network would be making a “series of other major announcements regarding (its) 2025 AFL coverage”.

Sloane is no stranger to the media, having previously held roles with Channel 7 and FIVEaa. He has been contacted for comment.

Earlier this week it was announced Bombers legend James Hird will join a new-look Footy Classified in 2025. The show will air on Monday and Tuesday nights, and go head-to-head with Cornes’s new Channel 7 program.

Footy Classified’s three biggest stars – Cornes, Caroline Wilson and host Craig Hutchison – left the program in September.

Cornes and Wilson were poached by rivals Seven as the home of footy looks to ramp up its AFL panel shows after falling behind Fox Footy and Nine.

Hutchison’s position at Nine became untenable when it was revealed his production company, Rainmaker, was set to produce the new footy shows for Channel 7.

Sloane is no stranger to the media, having previously held roles with Channel 7 and FIVEaa. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Regular fill-in host Sam McClure is favourite to replace Hutchison while Nine news breaker Tom Morris is an obvious replacement for Wilson.

Hird, who was a regular on The Footy Show during his playing career before working on Fox Footy when he retired, will also appear on Nine’s Footy Furnace on Sunday night’s alongside Morris and Bartel.