KB slams effort and attitude of Richmond playing group in 2016 (H-Sun)

[tdy]

KB says we have one of the best defenders in the competition.  I'd argue he is THE best defender in the comp at the moment given a few retirements at Hawthorn and the age of Luke Hodge.

But (and this will tax the one eyed memories) is Alex Rance the best defender in the history of the RFC?

He's clearly better than Scotty Thompson or Darren Gaspar or Joel Bowden or either Kellaway.

Better than Jim Jess but do the old timers know anyone better from the past?  Nearly all our historical greats I can think of are midfielders or forwards.

Can anyone name a better one?

[tdy]

To add to that these are the 6 backs in the team of the century

Backs    
Kevin Sheedy 1967 - 1979 251 games, 88 goals Premierships 1969, 1973 & 1974    
Victor Thorp 1910 - 1925 263 games, 7 goals Premierships 1920 & 1921    
Michael Green 1966 - 1971, 1973 - 1975 148 games, 83 goals Premierships 1967, 1969, 1973 & 1974

Half Backs    
Basil McCormack 1925 - 1936 200 games, 1 goal Premierships 1932 & 1934    
Gordon Strang 1931 - 1936, 1938 116 games, 107 goals Premierships 1932 & 1934    
Mervyn Keane 1972 - 198x 238 games, 36 goals Premierships 1973, 1974 & 1980

Would Rance be better than Keane ,Green or Sheedy.  And to make the team those guys from the 30's are just going by their stats and articles in the paper of the time.  Very hard to compare in reality.

[dwaino]

Rance would be one of the top few players in the entire competition, not just best defender, but hard to make a strong case to replace multiple premiership players in the team of the century when he is 0 in that column IMO.

[Penelope]

using that same line of logic, it is hard to to make a strong a case that he is in the top few players in the comp, as there are quite a few getting about with multiple premierships..
It also means that Brad Hill is a better player than Bob Skilton was

[dwaino]

That's true, but how else would you measure it looking back in 30 years? A few AAs and a B&F is a pretty fair start.

[Penelope]

its always hard to compare players from different eras. Its one of those times its impossible not to have a fair chunk of subjectivity in it, and naturally people will tend to lean towards those they have actually seen play, Consensus is rare on these things

[yellowandback]

its always hard to compare players from different eras. Its one of those times its impossible not to have a fair chunk of subjectivity in it, and naturally people will tend to lean towards those they have actually seen play, Consensus is rare on these things

As Bart Cummings once said "Champions are to be admired, not compared"