Author Topic: Injustice’, Alex Rance fears AFL defenders’ strength being penalised (Foxsports)  (Read 247 times)

Offline one-eyed

  • Administrator
  • RFC Hall of Fame
  • *****
  • Posts: 95131
    • One-Eyed Richmond
Injustice’, Alex Rance fears AFL defenders’ strength being penalised

April 18, 2018
Ben Waterworth
FOX SPORTS


RICHMOND superstar Alex Rance fears AFL defenders are facing an “injustice”, claiming that players who use their strength in marking contests are being penalised too harshly.

While the Tigers have produced an impressive start to their premiership defence campaign, Rance has been left bemused by some of the decisions paid against him so far this season.

The All-Australian captain, widely regarded as the best and highest-paid-defender in the competition, had four free kicks paid against in the Tigers’ clash against Adelaide in Round 2, of which three were for holding the man.

Rance said it appeared life was becoming tougher for backmen, fearing that players with superior strings are, at times, being penalised.

“I think the thing the AFL has always prided itself on is you’ve got to be strong, skilful and you’ve got to have speed. To take strength out of one of those would be an injustice to the game,” Rance told Fox Sports News.

“To see a couple of little tiny grabs, jumper pulls and things like that, I really don’t like to see.

“I want to see those shows of strength and really accentuate those things that the game prides itself on.”

Rance is also one of the league’s best at reading the ball, averaging a league-high 10.5 intercept possessions per game and 3.8 intercept marks (ranked third) across the first month of the season.

But the 28-year-old said the heavy emphasis on forcing teams to turn the ball over — which is the game’s biggest score source — could be disadvantaging defenders.

“A lot of teams are understanding now that to have a really good intercepting backline is going to be the key to a lot of scores. So they’re going to generate a lot of numbers behind the ball, which means the umpires need to protect the forwards as they’re going to be outnumbered in certain circumstances,” Rance said.

“I have noticed that there has been a little bit of a shift — it almost needs to be there to keep the game flowing the way it should.

“The Catch-22 is there, but I would like to see a bit more physicality involved in the game. But I don’t control the AFL.”

Rance is also among the top five players in the AFL for spoils so far this season.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/injustice-alex-rance-fears-afl-defenders-strength-is-being-penalised/news-story/17ad81c336308ecaa51ce30ef3b23516