Jack Silvagni told to 'be really firm' as contract situation plays out in public after Craig McRae's comments

Rory Sloane believes the landscape is changing when it comes to player movement after Collingwood coach Craig McRae made the rare step of publicly confirming he had met with Jack Silvagni.

The out-of-contract Blues player has been considering his future and during the week, McRae said he'd had a "first date" with Silvagni and would like a second.

Normally contract negotiations are kept secret to protect the privacy of the player, particularly considering the backlash West Coast's Oscar Allen copped when it was revealed he'd met with Sam Mitchell.

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Sloane believes the responsibility lies with the player to ensure their movement is kept under wraps. The Adelaide Crows great had revealed in April that St Kilda previously tried to sign him in 2018 through a burner account on Instagram.

"This is where it falls back on the player, if Jack wants to keep that discreet or Oscar wants to keep that discreet I think you've got to be really firm telling coaches or the people you meet, 'don't you let this come out or I'm not coming'," he said on Nine's Sunday Footy Show.

However, Sloane believes the approach from McRae is a way forward in a world where leaks are becoming increasingly unavoidable.

"I love the openness and honesty about it all," he said.

"As a player if I was coming out of contract and wanted to move, I was always the one that would've been I'll get on the front foot."

During his time at the Crows, Sloane watched on as Patrick Dangerfield went through a similar contract situation.

Dangerfield announced at the end of the 2015 season he'd leave the Crows and head back home to Moggs Creek and play for Geelong. It was the worst kept secret in the AFL at the time. Crows forward Taylor Walker called it "very disappointing" at the time while respecting his decision.

"I use Danger as an example ... we all knew it was going to happen anyway but if he came out and said 'I'm committed for this whole year, I'm going to give you everything but then I'm going home afterwards because that's where my family is and that's where I want to start a family (then that's OK)'," Sloane said.

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Matthew Lloyd then put it to Sloane about how Walker and the Crows reacted and the impact it can have on a players relationship with teammates.

Sloane doubled down on the changing landscape in response.

"We're ready for that open and honest approach that players can have. I reckon there'd be a week or two where the noise would kick up and stick around," he said.

As for the Oscar Allen situation, Sloane said "that's different".

"Captain of the footy club, you're going to have to be careful," he said.

"Someone like Jack Silvagni I'd be more than happy if he came out and said, 'Yeah I'm leaving, but I'll play the rest of the year if you want me and I've play my best for the footy club'."