Tigers football manager Dan Richardson said Rance’s signature was great news for the club after the All-Australian needed time to work through off-field issues.
“We never felt we would lose him. We were always confident this is where we’d get to,” Richardson told SEN on Saturday morning.
“I think you’ve got to remember these days players have career decisions that they have to make and they’re important decisions and there’s a whole range of factors that are sometime personal but need to be taken into account.
“We respected Alex needed some time to work through those but we were always confident with the way he was playing, the passion he displayed not only out on the field but the great teammate that he is around the club, we felt he was always happy to continue his career at Richmond.
“Alex really appreciated the club given him the respect and some time to work through these things and I think out of all this is a lot of trust that has been developed, which is terrific going forward.
Rance, a Jehovah’s Witness, had considered walking away from football to travel overseas with his partner, while rival clubs Fremantle and Brisbane Lions were interested in luring the unrestricted free agent.
Rance made his debut in 2009 and has played 118 games. He was centre half-back in last year’s All-Australian team and is widely tipped to win selection again this year.
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said Rance’s re-signing was a significant one, adding that in hindsight he wished he had told the team about it before Friday night’s game.
“We ummed and ahhed about whether we tell the group prior to the game, and we probably should have in hindsight — it might have given us a bit of a lift,” Hardwick told ABC Radio.
“Although we were very confident, there always was that uncertainty hanging over us and for us to find out on the Thursday (it had happened) was very exciting.
“There was never any fear from our point of view that he was going to play somewhere else. It was more whether he was prepared to continue to play footy, and we are very happy he is.”
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-can-still-poach-a-gun-player-despite-signing-alex-rance-on-long-term-deal/story-fndv8t7m-1227407486657http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/alex-rance-signs-new-four-year-deal-with-richmond/story-fndv8t7m-1227406952574
