Adelaide’s former captain, Rory Sloane, has undergone surgery for a detached retina in his right eye, raising concerns about his short-term future in the AFL.
Sloane, who had a similar procedure in 2021, went through surgery on Tuesday night after experiencing soreness following a training session. Adelaide’s high-performance manager, Darren Burgess, reassured fans, stating, “The surgery has been a success, and Rory is now in recovery.”
“Sloaney, he is very positive, and given he has been through this before, he understands what the process will look like from here,” added Burgess. Sloane is expected to spend the next five days recovering at home.
Adelaide will await guidance from specialists and monitor Sloane’s recovery before determining a return date for training. In 2021, Sloane emphasized the seriousness of his initial eye injury, stating, “A detached retina is pretty serious.”
He acknowledged the importance of the proper procedure and recovery to avoid potential long-term effects, emphasizing, “Forget footy, your vision is for life.”
Last August, Sloane faced another eye-related scare when he was substituted out of a game due to an eye complaint, although subsequent assessments cleared him of any damage to the retina. The 33-year-old, who suffered a fractured eye socket in 2017, is likely entering his final AFL season after signing a one-year contract extension in 2023.
