Rory Sloane has taken his game to a new level, faces next challenge, Patrick Dangerfield

RORY Sloane v Patrick Dangerfield. Batman v Superman. The movie might have been a stinker but Friday night’s bout has blockbuster written all over it.

Rory Sloane has been in sparkling form this season.

ON a Thursday morning early last year, Victor Harbor pizza shop owner Marc Russell was snagging a few waves at his local break when he saw a blond shaggy-haired bloke paddling towards him.

Russell knew instantly it was Rory Sloane so, of course, he summoned his best Christian Bale voice.

“I’m a bit of a goof and like to make light of everything and instantly what popped into my head was ‘It’s Batman’,” Russell said this week.

“We were almost side-by-side and I tried my best “It’s Batman” and he just cracked up laughing.”

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Sloane earned the Batman moniker in his very early days at Adelaide, when the then 20-something Upwey émigré made light of a Q and A session.

“I think it was a club promo or an AFL promo maybe in his first or second year,” Sloane’s manager Ned Guy explained.

“It was along the lines of ‘I am …’ and they all had to say a word.

“‘I am motivated’, ‘I am determined’ and Rory took the piss a little bit and said ‘I am Batman’.

Rory Sloane is in career best form, averaging a goal per game this season.

“It’s stuck. I think if he had his time again he probably wouldn’t have said it.

“It’s died down a little bit, but it’s certainly still there. It gives him a smile every time someone says it.”

Russell’s experience in the waters of Chiton Rocks isn’t unique. Sloane can and will talk to anyone, according to former Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson.

“When I first met him, I thought some of it might be an act because he was just so positive and so bubbly,” Sanderson said.

“I thought he was trying to overdo it, but I found that’s just him, you cannot shut him up.

“Some days I couldn’t get him out of my office. As a senior coach, it’s almost like the senior coach’s office is a scary place to be, but he would just come in for a chat and you’d almost have to kick him out in the end.

“So many people are drawn to him. He’s got the most beautiful family, they all adore him.

“He brightens a room every time he enters it. He’s just got that incredibly infectious personality.”

Rory Sloane tackles former teammate Patrick Dangerfield last season.

On the field Sanderson said Sloane was constantly trying to improve. He wants knowledge; about the game, its trends and of course, the opposition.

“For me coming from Geelong, he was always thirsty for knowledge on what made Joel Corey or Jimmy Bartel, those sort of boys, the best,” Sanderson, now an assistant coach at Collingwood, said.

“I found he was incredibly driven in trying to get the best out of himself.

“I guess that’s been one of his trademarks, his appetite to make himself better. He’d be in the top 10 or so players that I’ve seen, either playing with or coaching, that continues to work on his game.

“At the end of his career he won’t be able to look back and say I could have got more out of myself. He’s emptied out when it comes to trying to improve ... you almost have to physically drag him off the track.

“And that’s the way he plays too … he’s completely got the most out of himself in every game he’s played. It’s a rare characteristic.”

When Patrick Dangerfield was at the Crows, Sloane was probably more Robin than the caped crusader.

But come 2017, Sloane is now without doubt in the big suit.

Rory Sloane and the Crows have made a flying start to season 2017.

He’s in career best form in almost every meaningful area, but it’s his ability to impact the scoreboard that stands out.

For the first time in his career he’s averaging a goal a game.

“And now he’s having to learn to get tagged every week,” Sanderson said.

“I guess when Scott Thompson was up and going and Patty Dangerfield was there, he was probably third in the queue.

“Quite often we’d send Rory to someone as a cooler, when someone else from the opposition was heating up, now he’s had to learn to get run with as well.”

Port Adelaide star turned commentator Kane Cornes remembers matching up on Sloane.

“He was the sort of player you wished you were yourself,” Cornes said.

“I played on him a couple of times and what stood out to me was his selflessness trying to get his teammates into the game.

Rory Sloane is tackled high during the clash against Fremantle.

“If I was tagging say Scotty Thompson, Rory would be the first one to come over and put the block on me.

“His ability to grind it out (also stands out). I don’t think he’s a super runner but he’s almost got that Robert Harvey will and determination to dig in and grind it out and fight it out to the end. His power running stood out to me.

“He’s versatile. He’s just as good inside as he is on the wing or playing half-forward. And he’s extremely good overhead for his size … it’s probably something that gets overlooked with Rory.”

Cornes said Sloane had gone from a high half-forward/winger to an inside midfielder.

“Since Don Pyke’s been there he’s just turned him into a genuine inside midfielder,” the dual All-Australian said.

“He’s as good as anyone at winning a clearance and winning contested footy. His tackle numbers are just unbelievable.

“His ability to transform from an outside midfielder to an inside one in the last few years is why he’s performing so well.”

Dangerfield and Sloane are both at the peak of their powers. It makes for a fun game.

Rory Sloane was well held by Bernie Vince in Round 8.

In the first match up between close friends in Round 8 last year, the pair appeared to embrace the theatre, going head-to-head from the opening bounce.

For 59 minutes Dangerfield and Sloane were side-by-side. In that time Dangerfield had 17 touches, Sloane 18. You’d call that a draw.

It appears Sloane likes a head-to-head battle so in the most recent meeting in Round 18 last year, Geelong coach Chris Scott didn’t give him a direct match-up.

While Joel Selwood spent the most time near Sloane and won that battle, the load was spread with Cam Guthrie, Sam Menegola and a few others also getting their shot.

North Melbourne’s Sam Gibson and then Melbourne’s Bernie Vince tagged hard and silenced Sloane in Rounds 7 and 8.

Cornes, now Sloane’s neighbour and with their wives Lucy and Belinda, partners in Cornes and Sloane media and marketing company, doesn’t reckon Chris Scott will take that approach at Simonds Stadium.

“I think he’ll get a free run of it, which is great for the game,” Cornes said.

“We’ll probably get to see a bit of Dangerfield and Selwood and Sloane and the Crouch brothers going head-to-head, which is fascinating.

“It’ll be a good match up (Sloane v Dangerfield) if that one happens.

“I went to school with Matthew Pavlich and we played junior footy together and (are) quite good mates. I think you find you’re probably tougher on each other.

“You want to do really well and get the upper hand. It’s business as usual on the field and then have a laugh after the game.”

Sloane v Dangerfield. It’s 2017’s Batman v Superman. The 2016 movie might have been a stinker but Friday night’s bout has blockbuster written all over it.