Rory Sloane has moved into second place in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year award after receiving votes for the third straight week.
Sloane was adjudged the best player on the ground by coaches Phil Walsh and Paul Roos in Adelaide’s 25-point win over Melbourne on Saturday. The rugged midfielder topped the possession count with 31. He also laid 10 tackles, won eight clearances and generated three inside 50ms.
Sloane is the only Crow to poll coaches votes in every game this season, having collected four in Round One and eight against Collingwood in Round Two. He now sits second on the overall leaderboard, two votes behind Fremantle star Nat Fyfe.
Midfielders David Mackay and Scott Thompson each received six votes at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
Mackay earned high praise from Walsh for his courageous grab in the wet, which has been nominated for Mark of the Year. Mackay laid a career-best 10 tackles, kicked a brilliant running goal and had 23 touches in one of his best-ever games for the Club. In his first AFL game of the season, Thompson amassed 30 disposals, a game-high 11 clearances and also laid 11 tackles.
Demons defender Tom McDonald, who had the tough job on Taylor Walker, received five votes.
Dees onballers Heritier Lumumba and Bernie Vince, who employed controversial tactics to thwart former Crows teammate Patrick Dangerfield, each earned two votes.
Remarkably, perfect 10s were handed out in seven of the nine games on the weekend. Club captains Luke Hodge (Hawthorn), Joel Selwood (Geelong), Jobe Watson (Essendon) and Trent Cotchin (Richmond) all received top votes, as well as South Australian duo Lachie Neale (Fremantle) and Brad Ebert (Port Adelaide).
Adelaide v Melbourne
9 – Rory Sloane (Adelaide)
6 – David Mackay (Adelaide)
6 – Scott Thompson (Adelaide)
5 – Tom McDonald (Melbourne)
2 – Heritier Lumumba (Melbourne)
2 – Bernie Vince (Melbourne)
Leaderboard after Round Three
23 – Nat Fyfe (Fremantle)
21 – Rory Sloane (Adelaide
20 – Dan Hannebery (Sydney Swans)
19 – Dylan Shiel (GWS)
17 – Tom McDonald (Melbourne)
16 – Cale Hooker (Essendon)
16 – Josh Kennedy (Sydney Swans)
15 – Michael Hurley (Essendon)
14 – Stephen Hill (Fremantle)
14 – Kieren Jack (Sydney Swans)
