The Adelaide Crows will know if they have a new captain or if they will stick with Rory Sloane by February next year.
Sloane, who has been the sole skipper of the club since 2020, enters the final year of his contract on the back of an ACL injury suffered in Round 5 last season.
At this point in time he remains the Crows’ captain but CEO Tim Silvers has suggested a final decision will be made in the New Year.
He insists that the decision making process will be the same as it always has been, even with Sloane the current holder of the position.
“It doesn’t change for us in terms of timing,” Silvers said on SEN’s Sportsday SA.
“We’d be looking around that mid-February time when we make decisions on our leadership group and also in effect our captaincy. Nothing changes there.
“Rory Sloane has been a magnificent leader for us for a long, long time. He’s also recovering from a knee injury and he’s doing a wonderful job off the field, and also training the house down.
“So we’re focusing on getting him back and making a decision for our captaincy early next year.”
The veteran midfielder, who will be 33 early next season, would like to remain as Adelaide captain but will accept whatever decision is made by the club and head coach Matthew Nicks.
“As it stands (I’ll be captain),” he told AFL.com.au recently. “But I’ve said all along that it’s about what’s best for the footy club.
“I have regular chats with Nicksy and whatever is best for the footy club going forward I will most certainly do.
“(Not being captain) would never change what I do as a leader. I’ve always been a massive believer that you don't need a title to lead.
“Whatever my role is I’ll continue to help lead this footy club.
“But I would love nothing more than to lead these boys and to play some solid footy again.”
Sloane was appointed co-captain alongside Taylor Walker for the 2019 season before taking over in his own right in 2020.
If Sloane is to be overlooked for 2023 and beyond, the likes of Tom Doedee and Jordan Dawson would be considered frontrunners, while 2022 leadership group members Brodie Smith, Ben Keays and Reilly O’Brien would also be in the mix.
The All-Australian and two-time Malcom Blight Medallist has been restricted to just 34 games across the last three seasons because of various injuries.