He’s a pretty handy footballer, but has Rory Sloane missed his true sporting calling?!
A born competitor, Sloane tried a number of different sports growing up in Upwey at the foot of the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria.
He was a promising footballer and tennis player, and learned to surf at an early age.
But way before any of that, Sloaney was a budding shot put star!
Recently, the Adelaide midfielder received confirmation from sister Shae – an accomplished sportsperson in her own right as the captain of the Australian Volleyroos – that his name is still etched in history at his local Little Athletics club.
In the 1995/1996 season, the wiry Sloane threw a distance of 5.92 metres to set a new record.
“My Under-6 record for shot put at Sherbrooke Little Athletics still stands to this day!” Sloane said.
“So, I’ve held that for 20 years now!”
Sloane isn’t the only Crow with an athletics achievement to their name.
As a kid Nathan van Berlo won a cross country state title for WA. Another renowned distance runner, Riley Knight won the 3,000 metres event at an Interschool championship.
Brodie Smith and Rory Atkins were better at the jumping events. Smith competed in the high jump at a SAPSASA Athletics District Day, while Atkins won the triple jump in Year 10.
Forward Troy Menzel finished second in the hurdle at state level when he was “13 or 14”, but quit the sport the next year to focus on footy.
