Injury no excuse as Crow aims to fire up

CROWS vice-captain Rory Sloane is offering no excuses. And the top-grade midfielder does not want to hear any as questions linger on his fitness.

Sloane’s form — and ability to shake off a hard match-up, as noted with Collingwood midfielder Steele Sidebottom at Adelaide Oval on Friday night — is linked to a foot injury he has carried since the grand final rematch with Richmond late last month.

And the same microscope is on Crows captain Taylor Walker, who had no preseason as he nursed his left foot through another plantar fascia flare-up.

Sloane insists he taking the field knowing he is fully capable of contributing to Adelaide’s team game — and is judging himself by results not medical reports.

“Every player — every player across the league — goes into games with little niggles,” Sloane said. “It is your ability to be able to deal with it — and still play your role. I own that, so no — no — it is not about injuries.”

Sloane’s emphasis on the Crows players’ mental attitude — rather than their physical state just a month into the AFL premiership season — will be put to the test when Adelaide returns to the Friday night football stage. There is an enormous challenge in confronting Sydney at the SCG to stop the Crows’ winloss count falling to a negative read (2-3) for the first time since coach Don Pyke’s first game in 2016.

Such a big test while under the national spotlight is well timed for Pyke as he seeks a reaction from his erratic team.