Why Rory Sloane is the heart and soul of the Crows
ADELAIDE vice-captain Rory Sloane, in his first game back from injury, showed his importance to the Crows by standing up in the big moments in a typically selfless effort. See where Adelaide and your team sits in this week’s AFL Power Rankings.
Reece Homfray
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AT THE 14th minute mark of the final quarter on Saturday night, West Coast was collapsing under an avalanche of Crows pressure but had one last roll of the dice to get back in it.
Adelaide was leading 73-66 when the Eagles finally got the ball past centre and Liam Ryan broke away from the pack on the wing looking to kick the ball inside 50m, but he never had the chance.
Rory Sloane was tracking him from 10m away and as Ryan went to kick, the Crows’ most tenacious player closed in, lunged at him with a tackle which caught him holding the ball.
Rory Laird handballed to Paul Seedsman who had a bounce, hit-up Curtly Hampton in the pocket and he kicked the set shot. All but game over.
It was so typical of Sloane who at one stage during Saturday night’s game had more tackles than possessions.
“It was huge and it ended up in a goal,” teammate Matt Crouch said of the tackle on Ryan.
“It just typifies what he’s about. He’s a pretty handy inclusion. Around the footy he brings that intensity, pressure and he can run really well away from stoppage.
“He was huge. His defensive efforts are the great part of his game and as a leader the guys love that from him.”
Sloane plays selfless footy and finds a way of standing up in big moments when his team needs him.
He is the heart and soul of the Crows’ side and when you take that out for 10 games it’s impossible to replace.
Sloane finished with 14 disposals and 13 of them were contested which says it all.
Crows coach Don Pyke said the aim was simply to get the All-Australian midfielder through his first game back from injury by resting him forward at times as well, but Sloane delivered that and more.
“It was more about getting back out there and making sure he could get through the game and do what he does,” Pyke said.
Yep, do what he does. Eight tackles and 53 pressure points which was the second most in his team behind Hugh Greenwood’s 57.
But Sloane wasn’t the only one to stand up in a game that could well save Adelaide’s season.
The obvious ones were Taylor Walker’s three goals, Matt Crouch’s 32 disposals, Tom Doedee’s fourth-quarter tackle and goal from the boundary and Curtly Hampton’s stellar return to the AFL side.
But ruckman Sam Jacobs was huge in every sense.
Jacobs has been battling this season. His body looks to have felt every bit of 30 and a knock to the back early in the season has meant he’s been playing through the pain barrier. But he can’t have a rest because Adelaide hasn’t got anyone else especially now Reilly O’Brien’s season is over with shoulder surgery.
On Saturday night he had to come up against not one but two specialist ruckmen at West Coast in Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett and he beat them both.
Jacobs had 18 disposals, 39 hit-outs (some of them pearlers out the back), kicked 1.2 and set two other goals up.
Early in the third term he spilt the pack mark but got up and tackled Andrew Gaff to force the turnover and Darcy Fogarty kicked the goal.
He also took a contested mark in defence, set up a Myles Poholke goal with poise and skill and got the first clearance of a defining fourth quarter.
If Walker is the leader then Sloane and Sauce are the heartbeat of a team that for now is refusing to give up.
GOOD WEEKEND FOR ...
The Trengoves, one of SA’s most popular sporting families. Jack made his Port Adelaide debut with 20 disposals against Carlton and Jess ran a PB in the Gold Coast marathon.
ONE TO FORGET FOR …
Geelong. What a costly slip-up for a team fighting for a top-four spot. Not Harry’s fault but losing to the 14th-ranked team may come back to bite them.
BURNING QUESTION ...
Can the Crows carry the momentum from their spirited win over West Coast into their return to the MCG to face Richmond?
POWER RANKINGS
1. RICHMOND (11-3)
Richmond could not have been more impressive against Sydney on Thursday night and it was the type of performance that suggests they’ll more than likely go back-to-back, if you can believe that.
2. SYDNEY (10-4)
Won clearances, won contested ball and laid more tackles but lost by 26 points against the best side in the competition. After winning six on the trot, losing to the Tigers isn’t enough to dislodge them from second spot on the rankings this week.
3. PORT (10-4)
Start pencilling in that top four finish. Port was due for an off day after a huge last month and were far from their best, but found a way to win against a Carlton side rallying for Kade Simpson. With St Kilda and Fremantle to come, they should advance to 12-4.
4. COLLINGWOOD (10-4)
Second on the ladder after a regulation win over Gold Coast but the big news yesterday was Jordan De Goey re-signing for the next two years. As he should after the way the Pies have stuck by him.
5. WEST COAST (10-4)
The Eagles are on the nose after losing their past three in a row. Sorely missing Kennedy, Darling and, at the weekend, LeCras. Did everything right for three quarters then came unstuck.
6. GEELONG (8-6)
The post-bye game bites the Cats again and this one could prove costly to their top-four hopes. Not Harry Taylor’s fault, but I still like him in defence more than in front of goal.
7. GWS (8-5-1)
The consensus was that without Jeremy Cameron the Giants were done and dusted, but they rallied to beat Hawthorn and are still alive.
8. ESSENDON (7-7)
Miraculously the Dons are back in finals contention. Since losing to Carlton they’ve won five of their past six games.
9. N. MELBOURNE (8-6)
The Kangas have now gone loss, win, loss the past three weeks and that win was a get-out-of-jail against the Dogs. Few cracks starting to show.
10. MELBOURNE (8-6)
Looked like they might win the flag after beating Adelaide in Alice Springs, now look in for a fight to make the eight. Costly loss to the Saints and now face Freo and a resurgent Bulldogs.
11. HAWTHORN (8-6)
Tom Mitchell had 50 touches for the third time in his career, but the Hawks are still fighting to play finals after losing to GWS.
12. ADELAIDE (7-7)
Stayin’ Alive all right. So many big moments from Saturday’s win over West Coast, but I can’t go past Tom Doedee’s ability to chase Ah Chee, tackle, win the free kick then kick the set shot from 40m on the boundary. Not without a chance against Richmond on Friday night.
13. FREMANTLE (6-8)
The break wasn’t kind to Freo and neither were injuries with Aaron Sandilands hurt in the warm-up and Nat Fyfe hobbling off before halftime, and losing to the Lions puts a line through finals.
14. ST KILDA (3-10-1)
That win over Gold Coast before the bye stirred something in St Kilda and the two-point win over Melbourne was huge. Big fan of Jade Gresham.
15. W. BULLDOGS (5-9)
Signs that the Dogs of 2016 have been slowly coming back and on Friday night it was there for all to see in a spirited win over Geelong. Billy Gowers not a bad find from Carlton.
16. BRISBANE (2-12)
That effort in Perth on Sunday could well be Brisbane’s best win in three years. After losing nine straight to the Dockers they’ve now won the past two.
17. GOLD COAST (3-11)
Lost the game without Tom Lynch but contested possession was 164-162 down, so a good marker of effort.
18. CARLTON (1-13)
Brave against the Power in Simpson’s 300th and that’s all fans can ask for at the moment.
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