Adelaide star Rory Sloane out of AFL final

Adelaide midfielder Rory Sloane and Greater Western Sydney forward Devon Smith won't play in Thursday night's AFL qualifying final because of injury.

Rory Sloane

Adelaide midfielder Rory Sloane, is still in doubt for Thursday's AFL qualifying final against GWS. (AAP)

Adelaide vice-captain Rory Sloane and Greater Western Sydney forward Devon Smith will miss Thursday night's AFL qualifying final because of injury.

GWS goalsneak Smith has been ruled out by a knee injury, while enigmatic veteran Stevie Johnson has been dropped.

Crows star Sloane, after undergoing appendix surgery on Tuesday last week, says the risk of further injury is too high to play the Adelaide Oval final.

Sloane's injury-forced withdrawal is among three changes to Adelaide's side from the last home-and-away match.

The Crows recalled captain Taylor Walker (toe), defender Daniel Talia (ankle) and Hugh Greenwood (rested).

Rookie backman Alex Keath and wingman Wayne Milera were dropped. They will be on the sidelines with Sloane, who risks hernia problems by returning too soon.

"The risk of doing some damage internally is probably a bit high," Sloane told Triple M radio on Wednesday.

"That (hernia) is a potential risk; there's a few risks ... that internal strain can go on if I push it too early coming back.

"I haven't quite healed as well as I would have liked."

Sloane expected to be fit for Adelaide's next final - either a semi-final next weekend, or a preliminary final in a fortnight.

The Giants made two changes - dumping Johnson, whose poor recent form had been compounded by a knee injury, and unable to pick Smith.

Ex-Docker Matt de Boer and Harrison Himmelberg were summoned as replacements.

Johnson has announced his retirement at season's end but GWS coach Leon Cameron says the 34-year-old remains part of his September plans.

Instead of featuring in another AFL final, Johnson will play in a trial game between the Giants' and Crows' reserves sides on Friday in Adelaide.

"Where he sits over the past couple of weeks, his performances probably haven't been to the level that they needed to be at," Cameron told reporters.

"And he's the first one to walk into the office and say 'look, I haven't been playing some great footy'.

"On top of that, we know we have had to juggle his injury with his knee.

"But ... he will be participating somewhere along the line in September action."


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Source: AAP



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