Shark bait: Tiger tells of stalking fearsMatt Murnane
The Age
March 22, 2012Alex Rance speaks exclusively to Matt Murnane about stalking and the pitfalls of living your life in the public eye.RICHMOND defender Alex Rance wants to warn young men entering the AFL of the ''sharks lurking around the edges'' and that any player, regardless of his profile, could become a target of stalking.
The 22-year-old was the victim of a male stalker, stemming from what he describes as a business deal gone bad during the off-season, and revealed how the ordeal ''rattled his trust in people'' and took a toll on his family.
Rance's private issues became public last month when he took out a 12-month intervention order against a man, but the Tigers full-back was reluctant to reveal specific details of the experience during a interview with The Age.
But he was keen to use his situation as an example that all players, not just the game's stars, were vulnerable to stalking and other incidents that could arise from being so visible to the public.
''It's something that definitely needs to be brought up in AFL circles,'' he said. ' ''I think the awareness needs to be brought out that we [AFL footballers] do have more of a profile than what we think.
''I thought I was not really someone who would be targeted at all, because I wasn't really a big name. But I think the awareness needs to be put out there that you just need to be a little bit careful about who you put your trust in. Because sometimes things are too good to be true.''
It's a lesson teenagers drafted into the AFL need to learn quickly, Rance says, as well as ensuring they have a strong support network around them to deal with unexpected situations.
''I think it's definitely something to be aware of, especially for the younger boys who do come in and it's this glitzy, glamour sort of society that we get thrust into,'' he said.
''But there are a few little sharks lurking around the edges that you need to be careful of. You've just got to be careful and explore avenues more seriously.''
Rance, the son of Footscray and West Coast player Murray Rance, is not the first player to be pursued by a stalker.
Former Tigers and Sydney ruckman Greg Stafford was forced to request police assistance and went to court in 2007 to get a restraining order against a woman he claimed had stalked him for 10 years.
The woman invaded the MCG playing arena and approached Stafford after a game in 2002.
Rance has put the ordeal behind him, but concedes he was lucky the situation reared its head after Richmond had finished its 2011 season, so it did not affect his football.
''It was a weird situation, but I'm over it now, it's behind me,'' he said.
''It was pretty rattling at the time. But it was something that probably affected my family a little bit, which was frustrating.
''But I think, at the end of the day, I got the result I wanted - he's out of the scene now.
''You learn from your mistakes. I haven't lost too much out of it and it's brought my family closer together.''
As part of their induction into the league, players receive education sessions, where stalking is covered, and the topic is also featured during the AFL's ''respect and responsibility'' education sessions that all players attend.
How players can protect themselves against the risks of being increasingly accessible to the public on social media forms a large part of the education process.
The AFL and the AFL Players Association also provide extra counselling and support to players on a case-by-case basis.
AFLPA chief executive Matt Finnis said feedback from players on the issue did not point to ''any significant growing trend in relation to stalking of AFL players''.
But he said the explosion of social media meant the AFLPA had been forced to deal with the issue.
''Some of the issues we've dealt with through social media, we've actually relied upon legislation that outlaws stalking as a means of seeking to defend a player's interests in that sort of situation,'' he said.
AFL football operations boss Adrian Anderson said yesterday the league had been involved in similar cases and it was ready to tackle what he stressed was a serious issue if it became more prevalent.
''We keep tabs on these things and if we become aware that it is becoming more and more of a problem, then we are certainly prepared to ramp up whatever is in place,'' he said.
''It is a terrible issue for a player to have to deal with and we're conscious of the fact that our players are the public face of the game.''
Anderson also pointed out that every club had a player development manager to provide support.
Rance said the support he received from Richmond during the challenging time was invaluable.
''I had a good support network around me that talked me through it and let me know that I'm not the only one who has potentially gone through this,'' he said.
Rance, pick 18 in the 2007 AFL draft, insists the incident had not changed him as a person.
''It mainly just rattled my trust in people for a while,'' he said.
''For a little while there it was hard to communicate with people about it and let other people into your life.
''But I haven't really lost anything out of it. Probably just a little bit of pride at the end of the day.''
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