Former Adelaide Crows captain Rory Sloane has announced he will retire from the AFL after 255 games over 16 seasons.
In a statement, the club said Sloane made “the difficult decision” in the best interests of his long-term health, following a second round of surgery on a detached retina earlier this year.
The former club champion and All Australian informed teammates of his decision this morning, after extensive consultation with doctors and eye specialists in recent months.
“I have given it my all to get back to playing and generally speaking my body is in great shape and I’m mentally fresh but ultimately, the risk of another eye injury is too great,” Sloane said.
“More so, the impact it could have on my life and the potential for loss of vision. I’ve come to realise this is definitely not like the more common injuries you can get from playing the game.
“Our footy club is a special place and I have absolutely loved every minute of my career, and along the way I have grown and experienced so much as a person and footballer.”
Sloane was named co-captain alongside Taylor Walker in 2019 and was the club’s sole captain from 2020 to 2022.
In 2021 he had his first surgery for a detached retina and in 2022, his season was cut short after a rupturing his ACL.
He returned in 2023 and signed on for this year, but has not played a game yet this season due to the recurring eye injury.
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Posted 5m ago5 minutes agoMon 29 Apr 2024 at 2:36am
