As each week passes, it looks as though it may be inevitable that Crows midfielder Rory Sloane may join the long list of players to leave Adelaide.
The two-time Club Champion is yet to put pen to paper and commit to Adelaide beyond the 2018 season, leaving Crows fans feeling frustrated.
A fully fit Rory Sloane sits comfortably inside the competitions top five midfielders, however the severity of his latest injury has left people wondering if he will ever be able to reach the heights of his 2016-17 season(s).
If Rory can return from his latest injury set back and play out the rest of 2018 with no ill effects of the Lisfranc strain, he will have offers from all over the country worth upwards of $1mill per year.
Adelaide will have the salary cap space to match such offers thrown at the unrestricted free agent, however, it may be in Adelaide’s best interest to invest that money elsewhere.
Rory Sloane of the Crows. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)
In March, Adelaide successfully secured the signature of Rory Laird to a three-year extension, who is one of the competition’s best small defenders. However, Adelaide still has players Tom Lynch, Paul Seedsman and David Mackay coming out of contract at seasons end, and it looks as though the signature of Rory Sloane is stalling these negotiations.
Paul Seedsman and David Mackay are both currently having career best seasons at halfback and taking full advantage of the absence of Brodie Smith. Tom Lynch who missed Rounds 1 and 2, has continued his form which saw him nominated for the 2017 All Australian team.
Lynch is a running machine and a great user of the footy. He is arguably the competition’s best connector between halfback and half-forward. The latest reports are that Lynch wants to stay at Adelaide, but there are a few Melbourne clubs looking to lure the Victorian back home. Losing a player of Lynch’s calibre because of Rory’s indecision just seems irresponsible.
Although Adelaide has been scrutinised over the years for not being able to hold onto players, I think it’s time the club demand an answer from Sloane on whether or not he intends to stay. If the answer comes back as anything other than a definitive ‘yes’, Adelaide should move on immediately and start working on how they can land the two big fish in WA.
Adelaide senior coach Don Pyke was an assistant coach at West Coast before coming to the Crows in 2016. His immediate success as a coach, attacking brand of footy and ties to W.A. maybe enough to entice Jeremy McGovern (26 years) and Andrew Gaff (25 years) to cross the border.
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The two-time All Australian Jeremy McGovern (2016, 2017) has been in the conversation as the competition’s best defender for a while now, and has a younger brother currently playing at Adelaide. Jeremy, who is currently 26 years old and a W.A. local, has put contract talks on hold, with reports of big money offers flooding in from Victorian clubs.
However, if Adelaide can lure McGovern to West Lakes to complement All Australians Daniel Talia and Rory Laird, Adelaide would firmly keep their premiership window open for years to come.
The running machine that is Andrew Gaff has continued his outstanding form from 2017, leading the Eagles for total disposals for a third-straight year, averaging 29.6 a game. Gaff, who will be a restricted Free Agent this offseason turns 26 in June, has suggested that a return home to Victoria is tempting, as is team success.
The 2017 grand finalists sit firmly in the premiership window, with a 6-3 win/loss record and sitting fourth on the premiership table. Signing Gaff to a long-term, multi-million dollar deal would be a better option than Sloane, who will be 29 before next season and has still yet to prove he can shake a tag.
Andrew Gaff of the Eagles (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
If Sloane can’t commit, Adelaide should immediately turn their priorities to re-signing Lynch and Seesdman, then turning their attention to big name Free Agents Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Gaff.
There is no doubting that the Adelaide Football Club and their fans would much rather keep Rory Sloane than to see him go, but if Sloane can’t or won’t commit, then Adelaide needs to access their needs and get to work.
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