Rory Sloane puts hand up to captain the Crows in his own right after Taylor Walker’s decision to step down last year
Adelaide star Rory Sloane says he’s ready to shoulder the full weight of the captaincy in 2020 following Taylor Walker’s decision to relinquish the shared duties at the end of last season.
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Rory Sloane says he wants to remain a captain of the Adelaide Football Club.
Four months after Taylor Walker relinquished his co-captaincy duties to focus on his own game and spend more time with his family, Sloane has put his hand up to again lead the club.
“I enjoyed the captaincy last year, so absolutely (he wants to keep the post),’’ said Sloane, who was officially a co-captain for the first time last season.
“I’ve enjoyed my time in the leadership group and as captain last year with ‘Tex’ (Walker) but it’s not about what I want, it’s about what the team needs.
“I think it’s important for ‘Nicksy’ (new coach Matthew Nicks) to be around the group and for him to get his feel on the group as well.
“I’d expect we’ll go through that process in the coming month or so, and no matter what my role is I’ll always do the same (be a leader) anyway.’’
Midfielder Sloane, 29, is hot favourite to be sole captain after Walker’s surprise decision to step down from leadership duties.
Key forward Walker had captained the club for four years by himself before dual club champion Sloane’s elevation to co-skipper.
Prior to the Crows on Friday returning to training following their three-week Christmas break, Nicks said the club was in no hurry to make a leadership announcement.
But he indicated 2016 All-Australian Sloane was the frontrunner because of the way he plays.
“He likes to put his head in a hole and enjoys the fight, and we have a lot of kids who are already learning from him,” Nicks said.
“And his strength is about team.’’
Chief executive Andrew Fagan said the club was likely to revert back to the one-captain model.
“It’s not something we’ve openly discussed, but I expect that to be the case … it will be a single captain,” Fagan said.
“He (Nicks) has already spoken highly about Rory Sloane and what he brings … and he’s equally getting to know some of the other players within the club who show significant leadership potential.’’
Rory Sloane gets on the board early!#AFLCrowsEagles pic.twitter.com/TKpvamfsgh
— AFL (@AFL) May 25, 2019
In previous years, Crows players have voted on their leadership group with the coach having the final say on the captain before being endorsed by the board.
The only members of last year’s seven-player leadership group still left at the club, apart from Sloane and Walker, are Tom Lynch, Daniel Talia and Matt Crouch.
2018 AFL Rising Star nominee Tom Doedee, who underwent a knee reconstruction after round one last season and missed the rest of the year, is a natural leader who wants to be considered for an official leadership post.
But he is only 22 and has played just 21 games, which means he would not be considered for the captaincy.
Originally published as Rory Sloane puts hand up to captain the Crows in his own right after Taylor Walker’s decision to step down last year