KANE Cornes believes Rory Sloane is the “better leader” and would be more suited to captain Adelaide than current skipper Taylor Walker.

The Adelaide captaincy was again in the spotlight on Tuesday, after coach Don Pyke quashed rumours he would hand over the position to Sloane in a bid to keep him at the club.

Sloane will become a free agent at the end of the 2018 season and could be enticed to come home to Victoria if the right deal is brokered.

Cornes intimated Sloane should be installed as captain regardless of his contractual position.

Round 18

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Taylor Walker and Rory Sloane. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: News Corp Australia

“Rory Sloane leads by example. When the footy is there to be won, he puts his head over it,” Cornes told SEN.

“I’m not saying Taylor Walker is not courageous, but in terms of the way Rory Sloane leads on the field, he’s a better leader.

“My criticism over Tex’s captaincy is that he gets caught up in too much off the ball stuff.

“He’s very boisterous off the ball, tries to throw his weight around and push and shove in the face of the opposition.”

Walker faced a barrage of criticism in the wake of the Crows’ 48-point Grand Final loss to Richmond, after a lacklustre performance in which he failed to influence the match. His brief post-match address to the crowd also came under fire.

But among his peers — both at the club and in throughout the AFL — Walker’s reputation could not be higher, as evidenced by his consecutive AFL Players’ Association Best Captain Award.

The late Phil Walsh appointed Walker to succeed Nathan Van Berlo in 2015, with the Adelaide players voting Walker back into the position every year since.

“Anyone you speak to that’s inside the four walls at the Adelaide footy club say Tex is the man,” said Cornes.

“He’s the one the players listen to, he’s got the best balance of off the field, on the field. The way that he leads the players, his influence over the playing group is bigger than anyone’s.

“I guess that’s why they vote for him to be captain.”