Rory Sloane has extended his lead in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year award.
Sloane shared top votes with namesake Rory Laird at the MCG on Sunday.
Sloane and Laird each polled nine votes from the coaches in Adelaide’s 60-point win over Carlton.
Sloane, who has now received votes in seven of the last eight games, won an equal-game high 20 contested possessions against the Blues. The 2013 Crows Club Champion finished with 34 touches in total to go with a team-high 10 clearances, eight tackles and four inside 50ms.
Sloane (76) is now seven votes clear of good friend and former teammate Patrick Dangerfield (69) at the top of the leaderboard.
Laird, who scored a perfect 10 last weekend, has polled votes in four of his last five matches. The courageous small defender racked up a career-high 35 possessions at an elite 88.6 per cent efficiency on Sunday. He also had a game and round-high nine rebound 50ms and gained more metres (518 metres) than any other Crow.
Laird, who missed a month with a fractured toe, has received a total of 31 votes in 11 games.
Ruckman Sam Jacobs and key defender Daniel Talia, who each received five votes, were judged the next best players on the ground by Don Pyke and Brendon Bolton.
Talia collected a career-best 28 possessions, including 13 intercept possessions – equal with Sydney Swans running defender Dane Rampe as the most of any player in Round 16. The All Australian also effected 17 spoils and held opponent Levi Casboult to one goal from seven possessions.
Jacobs equalled his personal best of three goals to go with 36 hit-outs, 15 possessions and five tackles against his former team.
Young midfielder Brad Crouch, who finished with a season-high 29 touches, seven clearances and a goal, polled his first vote from the coaches this year. Carlton’s four-goal hero Dennis Armfield (one) rounded out the voting.
Swan Rampe, St Kilda midfielder Jack Steven, Western Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli and Touk Miller of the Gold Coast were the only players to earn maximum votes in Round 16.
Richmond’s Dustin Martin, who attracted eight votes, was the biggest mover on the overall leaderboard. Martin has climbed to third, level with Geelong captain Joel Selwood.
Adelaide v Carlton
9 – Rory Laird (Adel)
9 – Rory Sloane (Adel)
5 – Sam Jacobs (Adel)
5 – Daniel Talia (Adel)
1 – Dennis Armfield (Carl)
1 – Brad Crouch (Adel)
Round 16 Leaderboard
76 Rory Sloane (Adel)
69 Patrick Dangerfield (Geel)
64 Dustin Martin (Rich)
64 Joel Selwood (Geel)
63 Luke Shuey (WC)
59 Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
55 Dan Hannebery (Syd)
51 Todd Goldstein (NM)
51 Luke Parker (Syd)
51 Jack Steven (StK)
Crows Leaderboard
76 – Rory Sloane
40 – Eddie Betts
31 – Rory Laird
26 – Tom Lynch
22 – Josh Jenkins
21 – Taylor Walker
19 – Scott Thompson
17 – Matt Crouch
16 – Brodie Smith
12 – Daniel Talia
9 – Luke Brown
8 – Charlie Cameron
7 – Sam Jacobs
3 – Rory Atkins
3 – Kyle Cheney
3 – Richard Douglas
3 – Jake Lever
1 – Brad Crouch
1 – Kyle Hartigan
