Alex Rance [merged]

[one-eyed]

No Rance-Dimma reunion

Alex Rance is likely to move to the Gold Coast after shutting down his Melbourne-based high school but won’t be joining the Suns as a full-time employee.

The Suns are open to specialist coaching roles for the likes of Lance Franklin, and even Rance, if they wanted to help out the club’s young kids.

But Rance is 33, so despite his level of fitness, the Suns haven’t spoken to him about a shock comeback.

They are aware he is considering a full-time move north after shuttering his football-focused school The Academy.

And as the Suns consider their coaching team, they haven’t had meaningful talks with Rance about a coaching role.

https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/afl-trade-2023-all-the-latest-news-and-intel-ahead-of-the-exchange-period/news-story/165450c5abb77d3c6d855e14ddeb2cc4

[lamington]

I think it’d be a bridge too far to give up freedoms and subscribe to the full time lifestyle and scrutiny of being an afl player but man I wish we had Rance around punt road to offer some leadership and guidance to our back 6

[TigerLand]

Pretty poor by Rance.

Start up a school, promise teenagers a dream and then poo things down. Feel for kids who were enrolled and had to go elsewhere after turning their back on traditional VCE. Bit cowboy by our old mate.

Thought it was interesting we didn't see Rance at Cotch or Jack farewells. But was at Sheds.

[Hard Roar Tiger]

Rance has already been living in Brisbane.
The schools went out of business.
Great idea but needed more funding and teachers.

[lamington]

The article said the academy was going ok until covid and then they never really recovered. The concept has merit but again without having first hand knowledge of what the education was like I’m reluctant to comment whether this is a blow for the kids enrolled or bullet dodged etc

[one-eyed]

WA Football Hall of Fame Inductees

Widely regarded as the premier full-back of his generation, Alex Rance possessed all the attributes to nullify the AFL’s premier key forwards.

Standing 194cm and weighing 96kgs, Rance’s size and power made him a commanding presence in the Richmond back-line for more than a decade, earning five All-Australian jumpers during his 200-game AFL career.

Rance was born in Perth with a football pedigree, his father Murray a champion with Swan Districts, Footscray and the West Coast Eagles.

He was selected by Richmond with the club’s second selection and 18th overall at the 2007 AFL National Draft from Swan Districts.

In 2015, he confirmed his standing at the Tigers by winning the Jack Dyer Medal, the club’s best and fairest player.

Rance was a key player in Richmond’s drought breaking premiership in 2017, finishing runner-up in the club champion award behind Brownlow Medallist Dustin Martin.

But he missed the Tigers 2019 Grand Final victory over Greater Western Sydney after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in Round 1 of that year against Carlton.

On the verge of his eagerly awaited comeback Rance shocked the football world in December 2019 by announcing his retirement at the age of 30.

https://www.wafootball.com.au/news/24353/wa-football-hall-of-fame-inducts-first-female?a

[one-eyed]

Alex Rance: "Something exciting coming!"

Watch here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Czc0sRZyxMq/

[WilliamPowell]

Alex Rance: "Something exciting coming!"

Watch here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Czc0sRZyxMq/

Training at Heritage Bank Stadium it looks like.

[one-eyed]

Alex Rance will be wearing Gold Coast colours in 2024 – but not as a player.

The former Richmond premiership full-back and five-time All-Australian will join Damien Hardwick's football department as a leadership consultant after recently moving to Queensland.

He will also work with new club partner LOOP Logics in an off-field role.

Rance, who retired at the end of 2019 after rupturing his ACL in round one that season, said developing club culture was something he was passionate about, harking back to his Tigers days.

Rance will work at the Suns two days a week and said he was undecided about whether he'd put the boots on again at any level.

"I don't know yet, we're just playing it by ear," he said.

"At this stage I enjoy my life balance that I have, but I think Dimma is leaving a rookie spot open for the mid-season draft just in case," he laughed.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1062975/richmond-tigers-hero-alex-rance-links-up-with-damien-hardwick-again-in-new-gold-coast-suns-role