Rory Sloane leads the way as Crows claim minor premiership

ADELAIDE’S charge to the minor premiership and a home preliminary final has been built on a team ethos and some wonderful individual displays. Andrew Capel rates the best cameos.

Vice-captain Rory Sloane has produced several standout performances for the Crows..

WHEN it came to dominating games, vice-captain Rory Sloane stood tall for Adelaide this year.

While the playmaking midfielder struggled under the weight of tight tags in the middle of the season, no Crow produced more gamebreaking displays as Adelaide won just its second McClelland Trophy as AFL minor premier.

The Crows’ stunning success, which now has them playing their first home preliminary final since 2006 against Geelong at Adelaide Oval on Friday night, was built on a team ethos.

Coach Don Pyke’s mantra is one-in, all-in.

He demands a team-first approach and strong contributions from every player.

But there was no shortage of standout individual displays.

And Sloane was at the head of the queue.

Of the 10 best Adelaide solo performances, Sloane arguably had four of them — against Geeling in round 18, Port Adelaide in round three, Fremantle in round 10 and Richmond in round six.

Here’s The Advertiser’s best 10 individual displays by Crows this year:

1. Rory Sloane

Adelaide v Geelong

Adelaide Oval, Round 18

28 disposals, seven tackles, three goals, 169 SuperCoach points

KNOCKED out one week, best on ground in a big game the next.

Vice-captain Sloane defied the odds to play six days after being concussed and produced a spectacular leadership display as the Crows took a major step towards securing the minor premiership by snapping a five-game losing streak against the Cats, winning by 21 points.

Geelong’s Cameron Guthrie battles against Adelaide’s Rory Sloane. Picture: SARAH REED

2. Rory Sloane

Port Adelaide v Adelaide

Adelaide Oval, Round 3

31 disposals, nine tackles, one goal, 168 SuperCoach points.

BOTH clubs went into the Showdown unbeaten but Sloane dragged the Crows over the line with a brilliant all-round performance as Adelaide overcame a first-quarter deficit to win by 17 points.

Warrior Sloane had an incredible 24 contested possessions to win his first Showdown Medal as best-afield.

3. Eddie Betts

Adelaide v Essendon

Adelaide Oval, Round 4

22 disposals, six goals, 10 score involvements, 150 SuperCoach Points.

THE Crows pocket rocket ran riot against Essendon, kicking a season-best six goals in the 65-point rout.

Betts was everywhere, winning a game-high 15 contested possessions, having 10 score involvements and scorching several opponents as Bombers coach John Worsfold declared Adelaide was “playing potentially premiership football’’.

4. Rory Sloane

Adelaide v Fremantle

Adelaide Oval, Round 10

30 disposals, 13 tackles, two goals, 177 SuperCoach points.

IN pouring rain, Sloane broke an early tag to dominate the Dockers as the Crows smashed Ross Lyon's struggling team by 100 points.

He gained 523 metres for his team, beat Fremantle Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe in the contest and hit the scoreboard as his team had a whopping 43 scoring shots.

5 Rory Laird

Adelaide v GWS Giants

Adelaide Oval, Round 1

40 disposals, 12 intercepts, 573 metres gained, 147 SuperCoach points.

REBOUNDING half-back flanker Laird ensured Adelaide got its season off to a flyer by having a day out against the pre-season flag favourite.

He recorded a career-high 40 disposals and had a game-high 12 intercepts in the statement-making 56-point win.

Matt Crouch of the Crows during the AFL qualifying final against GWS Giants.

6. Matt Crouch

Adelaide v GWS Giants

Adelaide Oval, Qualifying Final

31 disposals, seven clearances, 446 metres gained, 126 SuperCoach points.

ADELAIDE’S Mr Consistent enjoyed an outstanding, All-Australian year in which he amassed 30 disposals or more in 17 of the 23 games he played.

But his most important performance came in the qualifying final against GWS when he made up for the absence of Sloane (appendix) to star against a strong midfield to help put the Crows within one win of their first grand final since 1998.

7. Rory Sloane

Adelaide v Richmond

Adelaide Oval, Round 6

33 disposals, eight marks, eight tackles, three goals, 140 SuperCoach points.

ADELAIDE was briefly dubbed “The Unbeatables’’ after thrashing Richmond by 76 points to be the only unbeaten team after round six.

Sloane inspired the Crows to one of their most impressive performances of the season — and became Brownlow Medal favourite — when he shook off the tags of Kane Lambert and Reece Conca to dominate the game.

8. Sam Jacobs

Adelaide v Port Adelaide

Adelaide Oval, Round 20

12 disposals, two goals, 42 hit-outs, 138 SuperCoach points.

MUCH of the pre-game talk was about the Jacobs versus Paddy Ryder ruck battle and the Crow won the contest hands down.

He starred when the game was at its hottest, kicking two early goals, against the player who would eventually become the All-Australian ruckman. Jacobs’ performance in the record 84-point flogging won him his third Showdown Medal.

Adelaide Crows captain Taylor Walker celebrates. Picture: SARAH REED

9. Taylor Walker

Adelaide v Western Bulldogs

Adelaide Oval, Round 16

18 disposals, seven marks, three goals, 133 SuperCoach points.

THE heavy rain was supposed to make this a slippery, ground-ball game but captain Walker proved the theory wrong.

He hauled in seven strong marks, kicked three goals and had 18 disposals to lead the Crows to a crushing 59-point win against premier the Western Bulldogs.

10. Tom Lynch

Melbourne v Adelaide

TIO Stadium, Darwin, Round 17

27 disposals, 580 metres gained, 11 marks, three goals, 107 SuperCoach points.

HIGH half-forward Lynch got off his sick bed to star in the debilitating tropical heat against Melbourne in Darwin. After missing two games with the potentially deadly viral meningitis, Lynch excelled in 79 per cent game, gaining 580 metres for his side, as the Crows pushed aside a then finals contender to win by 46 points.