The Adelaide Crows’ supporters’ group has made Rory Sloane’s 200th game banner, now they just have to wait until they can hold it for him

The Adelaide Crows’ supporters’ group got together this week to make Rory Sloane’s 200th-game milestone banner. Now they’ve just got to wait until fans are allowed back in so they can finish it and then hold it for him.

Rory Sloane trains at West Lakes ahead of his 200th game this week. Picture: Adelaide Football Club.

Adelaide’s official supporters’ group has made a banner to celebrate captain Rory Sloane’s 200th game this weekend - but has left the final number blank for when they can finally take to the field to hold it for him.

The group gathered at their Seaton base on Tuesday night to make the banner, not knowing whether the competition would even go ahead in the face of the coronavirus crisis.

But AFL chief executive Gill McLachlan yesterday declared the season would proceed without crowds for an indefinite period, and the Crows supporters’ group is adamant they will honour their 200-game skipper when fans are finally allowed back in.

The Crows supporters group makes the banner for Rory Sloane’s 200th game which they don’t know when they’ll be able to hold. Pictures: Supplied.

“It’s (banner) finished but we’ve put 20 and whether that last number is five, six, seven, eight, whatever the game may be, is what it will be,” Crows supporters’ group president Peter Kauschke said.

“So it will still be used and the club has said that sponsor will still be the same sponsor for that game.

“We’re not allowed to put it up this weekend of course but we’re ready to go when we can.”

It takes 26 people to stand on the ground and erect the banner for the Crows to run through each week and that has been deemed not practical as the AFL tries to navigate its way through the health crisis.

Kauschke said the supporters’ group had no plans to watch Saturday’s game between Adelaide and Sydney at Adelaide Oval on TV together given the government’s ban on gatherings of 100 people or more.

Sloane will still get his milestone banner when the supporters group is allowed back into games. Pictures: Supplied.

Instead Kauschke will watch it with family and will push ahead with plans to stay at a hotel in the city like he does for every Crows home game.

“We’re still going to stay in the city this weekend and we’ll assess what we do after that,” he said.

“I’ve got every game booked and we do it straight away, we were on a cruise a couple of years ago and the minute the schedule came out we had every single game booked - and the same thing this year.

“So all our accommodation and flights are booked.

“But you know what? It’s not about the money, it’s protecting everybody’s safety.”

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