Rory Sloane was the lone Crow to poll votes from the coaches at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.
Sloane topped Adelaide’s possession count against the Cats with 28, and also amassed game-high clearances (nine), inside 50ms (seven) and tackles (11).
The tough midfielder kicked a clutch goal to bring his team within a point of Geelong late in the third quarter, and gained more metres than any other player with the exception of teammate Ricky Henderson.
The spirited performance earned Sloane four votes from Don Pyke and Chris Scott in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year award. He now sits seventh on the overall leaderboard with 32 votes after eight rounds.
The leading ball winner on the ground, Cat Cam Guthrie earned a perfect 10 from the coaches. Guthrie collected 36 disposals, 10 tackles and eight clearances in a dominant display.
Dynamic four-goal forward Steven Motlop was judged the next-best player, receiving eight votes. Sloane’s opponent and former teammate Patrick Dangerfield also earned four votes. Dangerfield had a game-high 22 contested possessions and, like Sloane, laid 11 tackles.
Geelong defenders Harry Taylor (three) and Corey Enright (one), who provided strong rebound against a potent Adelaide attack, rounded out the voting.
Guthrie was one of seven players to attract maximum votes in Round Eight.
North Melbourne midfielder Sam Gibson, Collingwood recruit Adam Treloar, Greater Western Sydney spearhead Jeremy Cameron, Carlton’s Bryce Gibbs, Bulldogs midfielder Marcus Bontempelli and star Eagle Luke Shuey were the others to poll 10s.
Dangerfield has moved to the top of the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year leaderboard, four votes clear of his captain Joel Selwood. Kangaroos ruckman Todd Goldstein and Melbourne onballer Jack Viney are equal-third.
Adelaide v Geelong
10 – Cam Guthrie (Geelong)
8 – Steven Motlop (Geelong)
4 – Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong)
4 – Rory Sloane (Adelaide)
3 – Harry Taylor (Geelong)
1 – Corey Enright (Geelong)
Round Nine Leaderboard
43 – Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong)
39 – Joel Selwood (Geelong)
37 – Todd Goldstein (North Melbourne)
37 – Jack Viney (Melbourne)
36 – Tom Lynch (Gold Coast)
34 – Luke Parker (Sydney Swans)
32 – Rory Sloane (Adelaide)
30 – Bryce Gibbs (Carlton)
30 – Dan Hannebery (Sydney Swans)
29 – Lance Franklin (Sydney Swans)
Crows Leaderboard
32 – Rory Sloane
23 – Eddie Betts
15 – Scott Thompson
14 – Josh Jenkins
12 – Tom Lynch
9 – Brodie Smith
9 – Luke Brown
5 – Rory Laird
3 – Kyle Cheney
3 – Richard Douglas
1 – Daniel Talia
1 – Kyle Hartigan
