Rory Sloane and his wife Belinda have revealed the saddening reason behind the gun midfielder's absence from last week's final home and away game against Carlton at Etihad Stadium.
Belinda gave birth to a baby boy, Leo, who was still upon arrival.
While the club didn't provide any further details as to why Sloane missed the match on Saturday night, Belinda wrote a heart-wrenching letter to their son on Instagram last Thursday.
“Last week we said goodbye to our beautiful little man,” she said.
“Leo Rory Sloane was born into the world still, but perfect.
“Thanks for making us the proudest parents and filling our hearts beyond measure, the moments we had with you are now beautiful memories that will last a lifetime.”
