Rance hoses down finals talkBy Adam McNicol
5:04 PM Tue 21 Jun, 2011WITH Essendon struggling to match the form it showed earlier in the season, Richmond and Melbourne are likely to be playing for a place in the top eight when they meet at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.
That fact alone is enough to have supporters of the Tigers and Demons salivating at the prospect of their team making a rare foray into the top half of the ladder.
But the players are doing their best to dampen the enthusiasm of the fans.
"It is a big game, but every game's a big game these days," Richmond defender Alex Rance said on Tuesday afternoon prior to hosting a clinic for a group of children in Fitzroy.
"We are sitting just outside the eight, so it's a pretty important game obviously.
"But I think our motivation is more about just testing ourselves against our own game-plan.
"It's not so much about us against them, it's more about knowing our game-style and perfecting that."
Melbourne has had the better of the recent battles between the two clubs.
The Demons have won seven of their past 11 games against Richmond, a record that includes two victories over the Tigers last year by a combined margin of 84 points.
However, Damien Hardwick's men have taken some big steps forward in the past 12 months and one of the key reasons is the improvement of players like Rance.
Now in his fourth season at Richmond, Rance has been a revelation in defence, proving his doubters wrong by playing with poise, skill and toughness.
Last weekend, the 21-year-old held his own against one of the game's biggest stars when he kept Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown to 12 possessions and two goals.
"I'm starting to get a lot better understanding and knowledge as to what's required of me and what my role is in the side," Rance said.
"Leppa [assistant coach Justin Leppitsch] has been really good with me, helping me with a lot of my body stuff and the technical side of things, so I think I've improved a lot this year."
With youngsters like Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin, who kicked five goals against the Lions, showing the way in the middle of the ground, Richmond appears to have its best list since it last made the finals in 2001.
Yet among the playing group there is no talk of finals.
"There were some good signs on the weekend, but we've also got some stuff we need to work on," Rance said.
"We can't forget that we had lost the two previous games [to Port Adelaide and the Sydney Swans] and that's why we've got plenty to work on."
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