Surgery shock for star Tiger RanceSam Landsberger
Herald Sun
17 November 2019Richmond superstar Alex Rance has been whisked in for more surgery on the right knee that cost him premiership glory this season.
Rance, 30, went under the knife this month and the procedure will keep him off his legs for a week or two.
But fear not, Tiger fans – the arthroscopic clean-up was minor and the five-time All-Australian should barely miss a beat this pre-season.
In fact, the reigning premiers – who are still on holidays, with dual Norm Smith medallist Dustin Martin living it up with Serena Williams in the Maldives – are humming along beautifully.
We didn’t know it, but this time last year Melbourne’s season was silently being sabotaged by a spate of surgeries.
Seventeen Demons were operated on and faced heavily restricted pre-seasons.
It was reported this year that 25 Dees completed a total of 22 pre-season sessions each, a significant drop from the 39 players who sweated through 33 summer workouts the previous year.
But a Herald Sun report into the health of all 18 clubs makes for scary reading for rivals hoping to catch the Tigers — who won their final 12 games of 2019 — in 2020.
Jack Graham and premiership half-forward Shai Bolton have both had shoulders operated on, although they’ll be fine for contact work come January and fit to play games by February.
Jack Higgins underwent more brain surgery in September on a non-football injury while Toby Nankervis had groin surgery after the Grand Final triumph.
Nankervis, 25, looms as the biggest worry and Essendon’s Joe Daniher might sympathise with a player suffering repeat groin problems.
But given the late-season emergence of young ruckman Ivan Soldo – who graduated from understudy to just about the main man – Nankervis’s availability isn’t as crucial as it once was.
And then there is Rance, who shapes as the recruit of the year. Forget Tim Kelly and Bradley Hill, this bloke is the backbone of Richmond’s backline and the defence will grow a leg when he runs out in Round 1 against Carlton.
The Tigers are hunting back-to-back flags for the first time in 46 years.
Questions regarding their hunger for more success might surface, but from a fitness perspective they are set to start that quest strongly.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/alex-rance-undergoes-more-surgery-on-right-knee-that-cost-him-premiership/news-story/8ce58dd7369487b0b28a586d64b9cc77
