Nervous wait for Adelaide Crows star Rory Sloane after crunching collision with former teammate and Geelong champion Patrick Dangerfield

CROWS Rory Sloane praises coach Don Pyke as he faces a nervous wait after a crunching collision with former teammate and Geelong champion Patrick Dangerfield.

Captain Taylor Walker and vice-captain Rory Sloane celebrate after their emphatic preliminary final win. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

ADELAIDE vice-captain Rory Sloane has hailed the influence of coach Don Pyke after the Crows stormed into their first AFL grand final in 19 years.

Sloane, who could come under investigation from the MRP for a second quarter collision with star Cat and former Crows teammate Patrick Dangerfield, returned to the team after missing the qualifying final win against GWS following appendix surgery.

The 183cm midfielder said second-year mentor Pyke had brought the group close together after a series of tragedies had struck the club.

Taylor Walker, Rory Sloane, Hugh Greenwood and Jake Lever celebrate on the siren. Picture: Sarah Reed.

“Since ‘Pykey’ has come in he’s brought a real team-first attitude and has set up this (playing) group to play together, to work for each other and for everyone to play their role,’’ Sloane said.

“He has created such a great environment around the club that we can all enjoy. That’s where all this started.

“Our coaches have set the ground work for us and I’m so proud of the boys (players) too because they’ve put in a lot of hard work over the past couple of years and it’s great for them to get some reward too.’’

Sloane described the feeling midway through the final quarter when he knew the Crows had the match in their grasp as “indescribable’’.

“I have played nine years of (AFL) footy and there are guys on our list who have played longer and others who have missed out ,’’ he said.

“These opportunities don’t come around often so we will certainly make the most of it.

“This is ‘Pykey’s’ team now and the work we’ve done in the past couple of years, well, I can’t describe it,’’ Sloane said.

“We’ve been through some tough times, every team has a story, but I think as far as the bond we’ve created we’ve come out better for it.

“We are certainly a much tighter group.’’

Originally published as Nervous wait for Adelaide Crows star Rory Sloane after crunching collision with former teammate and Geelong champion Patrick Dangerfield