Rance is Richmond's most important player: Carey (Age)

[one-eyed]

It poses the question: who is your team’s most important player? Who can you least afford to lose?

While Dustin Martin and Patrick Dangerfield, for example, are two of the best players in the competition, they’re not necessarily their clubs' most valuable.

Clearly, losing them would be a huge blow, but at Punt Road Alex Rance has been more of a barometer for the Tigers. In round two, he was beaten by Josh Jenkins and Richmond was comfortably beaten by Adelaide.

The Tigers’ final defeat before they went on to the premiership last season was to Geelong in round 21, when Harry Taylor took care of Rance by booting four goals.

Rance has barely missed a match in the past three years, but if the Tigers were to lose him, their whole defensive setup would be compromised.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/afl/sydney-swans/has-buddy-franklin-become-sydney-s-achilles-heel-20180419-p4zaj7.html

[lamington]

Any of our big 4 really. But yes Rance when he was getting tagged against Port was giving us grief. I actually think Jack going down will be just as catastrophic. I think we got away with it last year because we were playing gold coast

[Gracie]

The big 4 played 98 of 100 games between them with Riewoldt missing the round 19 and 20 games.

Riewoldt went out as did Prestia and Short for the round 19 game against Gold Coast and in came Bolton, Houli and Miles.

Prestia came in for the round 20 game against Hawthorn and Bolton went out.

Riewoldt came back in for round 21 against Geelong and Miles went out.

So for those two games we went with Nankervis and Soldo as ruck and sole tall forward. Won both games.

[pmac21]

Some may laugh at this but I think structurally in terms of winning the premiership Dion Prestia is our most important player.
Other than the fact he is a gun he allows Cotchin & Martin to move forward more often. 

[tdy]

Have you ever heard of a defender getting tagged in the history of the game except Rance. I haven't but I've only  watched 40 years of footy.  Anybody?
Rance is probably the tigers best defender in our history and will slot into our team of the century now he is a premiership player at fullback easily.  If he racks up enough games then the debate will be over.

[RedanTiger]

Have you ever heard of a defender getting tagged in the history of the game except Rance. I haven't but I've only  watched 40 years of footy.  Anybody?

Sorry to burst your bubble but this guy was better.

Verdun Howell - St Kilda. http://www.afl.com.au/news/event-news/hall-of-fame/2016/verdun-howell
'59 Brownlow (lost to Skilton on countback, awarded later) in his second season of AFL.
'66 Premiership (played with his broken jaw wired together through finals series).
At only 179cm he couldn't muscle forwards so just attacked the ball like Rance.
In one game the coach played him at the one end all game - half FB, half FF.
Vice captain to Darryl "Doc" Baldock.
Coached Richmond reserves to a premiership in 1971 after retiring as a player.
Australian, Tasmanian and St Kilda Hall of Fame.

Like Doc, another legend from Tassie. 

[Diocletian]

Yes but was he ever tagged?

[RedanTiger]

Yes but was he ever tagged?

It's 50 years ago but....
Like Rance, I think everything was tried against Howell over his career.

They tried to take him away from play with a decoy FF.
They tried the biggest hardest ruckmen/forwards.
They tried the quickest half forwards.
They tried on-ballers.
Howell just went on his merry way attacking the ball.

Remember this was a team that had Ian Stewart, Baldock, Barry Breen, Ross Smith and Cowboy Neale forward of Howell.

[tdy]

a smidgen before my time. Great to hear about him. As a kid in primary school I only ever saw tiges games so if there were other greats in the early 80s I don't know about I wouldn't be surprised.