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Alex Rance
- Thread starter Tigers of Old
- Start date
Without disclosing the reason if what your source said is correct do you think this will preclude Rance from coming back to the club?
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Comeback all set... with Swan Valley in a Perth local comp. Ex-Carlton player David Ellard is captain-coach, and also Rance's cousin.
Story in HS (pyawalled)
Story in HS (pyawalled)
Richmond premiership star Alex Rance set for shock footy return in local Perth competition
The West Australian also ran the article L2R2R, but it was paywalled as well.
Just on Rance, anyone who thinks there is substance to the rumours that he feel out with the playing group or club, for whatever reason, needs to read Konrad Marshall's new book.
It talk's about Rance's role in assisting with various psychological programs the club ran while the team was in the hub. It might only be brief, but so is the book and the message is clear. Whatever the reasons behind him retiring, he remains a committed and accepted part of the team, just not as a player.
My guess is thats his plan - Rance to test his body and mind away from AFL land to see whether he is up for it - and if so could be drafted by anyone mid season. A comeback at 31/32 years of age after 2 seasons out of the game - still a long shot.
This will make life interesting - I could see a team like the cats go all out for him (what’s his relationship like with Grigg?) and I reckon the value of his off-field work would be of more benefit to another team than actually playing on field.
I can’t see him returning to the tigers tbh - how do we fit him into that backline of ours.
...... but then I could be completely wrong
From a flag to the fourth division: Rance ponders footy comeback in Perth
A fourth-division club in Perth is in advanced talks with the former Richmond star to make a return to footy in 2021.
Richmond's former star full-back Alex Rance is in discussions with a fourth-division club in Perth to make a return to footy in 2021.
The five-time All-Australian retired from AFL football prematurely at age 30 in 2019 to spend more time with his family, and to focus more on his Jehovah's Witness faith.
Alex Rance could make an amateur league comeback.
Alex Rance could make an amateur league comeback. CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES
But amateur fourth-division side Swan Valley Football Club is in advanced negotiations with the 2017 Richmond premiership player to run out for a handful of matches for the side in 2021.
Swan Valley's new player-coach is Rance's cousin David Ellard, and a source at the club said they were confident that link would secure them the defender's services.
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Ellard played 63 AFL matches for Carlton between 2008 and 2015.
The hope is that Rance could play two or three games or a best-case scenario of five, which would qualify him for finals and help the club move up a division.
They are keen for as many of those games as possible to be home games to attract big crowds, and for Rance's involvement in the club to boost their junior stocks and fuel the return of an under-20s Colts side.
In March 2020 Rance said he was “not going to completely rule out” a return to footy one day.
"I love the game and I love what I have contributed and I am not going to completely rule out the fact that I could come back," Rance told RRR.
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"But at this stage I am really happy with the life balance that I have and I don't regret any of my time spent at Richmond because it made me who I am and I am proud of the effort that I put in there to achieve what we did.
"It's a constant thing – this is bad analogy but I am going to use it anyway – it's like being an alcoholic and constantly working at [bottle shop] Dan Murphy's.
"I know that if I go back to playing for Richmond I am going to love it so much and it is going to consume my life and my balance is going to go out again so I am happy where I am at."
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I did read that, and I hope it put paid once and for all to those unhelpful stories. Seriously the source for all that was the gutter crawler Nixon.
Flies to Perth, does his 14 days including testing and then what's stopping him? It's described as a handful of games so not likely to be away from Melbourne for a full season.
And I think there was at least one player on a VFL list last year who did something very similar to play in the WAFL. So it would be very doable for Rance if that’s what he wants to do.
Yes it's doable.
He's Melbourne based, it depends on whether his business interests will allow him to be away for awhile.
I may have read it wrong in assuming that he would fly in, play a couple of couple of games and fly out, and then do the same again a couple more times. If he does it that way and has to quarantine both ways it, he'd have to be very keen to play.
Shouldn't have to quarantine both ways. At least at the moment there's no community transmission in WA so there'd be no need to quarantine on return to VIC. That, of course, may change.
