Alex Rance [merged]

[Hellenic Tiger]

Well said TM , an elite defender no doubt

Schoolboy error giving up the goal to Minchington after the one he had at Dreamtime.

Other than that he is tracking beautifully IMHO.

[yellowandback]

It's interesting Dimma picks up on the 1 error of Alex Rance in the press conference but doesn't raise the 8 clangers from Matt Thomas?
Dimma could've picked the captain or lids who both kicked and hand balled directly to the opposition last night under no pressure. Or Jack who routinely misses gimmes from 30 metres out.
But no, let's pick on the easy target because he plays back.
It must pee off Alex no end that HE is the one singled out in press conferences when there are so many others who stuff up so much more often.

[Penelope]

That's a backman's lot Y&B. You make an error like that close to goal and you see an opposition goal as a direct result.

Someone further up the field makes an error of the same magnitude and you dont get an immediate consequence.

In fact often someone like rance will save the day as the ball sweeps back into our backline.

Midfielders and forwards get all the glory while backmen cop all the poo, even though they often have to clean up the mess of those further up the ground.

[Judge Roughneck]

It's interesting Dimma picks up in the 1 error of Alex Rance in the press conference but doesn't raise the 8 clangers from Matt Thomas?
Dimma could've picked the captain or lids who both kicked and hand balled directly to the opposition last night under no pressure. Or Jack who routinely misses gimmes from 30 metres out.
But no, let's pick on the easy target because he plays back.
It must pee off Alex no end that HE is the one singled out in press conferences when there are so many others who stuff up so much more often.

Hardwick is really grinding my gears.

Focused on the one rance mistake. The one dea mistake then previous week. And no mention of the hundreds in between

[yellowandback]

Richmond defender Alex Rance is the best one-on-one player in the AFL

Jon Ralph
Herald-Sun
July 04, 2014 7:00PM


HE has been dubbed the King of the Brain fade.

But Richmond defender Alex Rance also has legitimate claims to a loftier title as the AFL’s best one-on-one defender.

It was a claim made by Richmond coach Damien Hardwick this week and comprehensively backed up by Champion Data statistics.

As the Tigers attempt to win two straight games for the first time this year, it will again be Rance marshalling the defence against Brisbane.

The man who missed five games this year after bizarrely falling off his bike has twice this year coughed up goals in almost comical fashion.

His shanked left-foot clearance gifted Essendon’s Ben Howlett a Dreamtime at the ‘G goal, and a bungled kick across defence had the same effect against St Kilda.

But after he kept Nick Riewoldt to just one goal and 14 possessions, his coach gave him the ultimate praise.

“I am going to put a huge wrap on the bloke, I don’t think there is a better one on one player in the competition at the moment than Alex,’’ he said.

“He wins the majority of his contests. The other stuff we will probably take. He’s a great talent.”

In the age of the Golden Fist, stats show Rance instead wants to win the battle rather than neutralise the threat.

He has conceded just 13 goals in nine games (four of them to Lance Franklin) but it is the defensive one-on-one contests where he thrives.

Of his 43 contests he has 18 wins at 43 per cent, beating a field of quality defenders including Tom Lonergan (32.5 per cent), Heath Grundy (41.5 per cent), Harry Taylor (34.2 per cent) and Eric Mackenzie (34.5 per cent).

He has neutralised 18 of those 43 contests and lost just seven, also averages 18 possessions and he charges up the field.

“You have got to take the good with the bad,’’ says Hardwick of Rance.

“Alex had an outstanding game against Nick Riewoldt and won that contest and he’s just a better player than that kick across the arc, but I was watching Nick Riewoldt and with the work-rate he puts in, he just puts his bloke into the ground.

“Alex is an outstanding athlete but the decision-making under duress probably comes undone when you are tired.”

Today it will be the Lions mosquito fleet of Dayne Zorko, Josh Green and Lewis Taylor causing Richmond headaches.

But Hardwick will count on Rance to put swingman Daniel Merrett to sleep, even if he can’t guarantee that next brain fade won’t come at any time.

THE AFL’S BEST ONE-ON-ONE DEFENDERS

Alex Rance has conceded just 13 goals in nine games

He has won 41.9 per cent of contests and lost just 16.3 per cent, a positive 25.6 per cent differential.

WIN-LOSS DIFFERENTIAL IN ONE-ON-ONE CONTESTS

THE BEST

Alex Rance (Richmond) +25.6 per cent

Tom Lonergan (Geelong) +22.5 per cent

Heath Grundy (Sydney) +22 per cent

Harry Taylor (Geelong) +21.1 per cent

Eric Mackenzie (West Coast) +19 per cent

THE WORST

Kyle Cheney (Hawthorn) -27.5 per cent

Easton Wood (Western Bulldogs) -26.7 per cent

Zac Dawson (Fremantle) -15.2 per cent

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-defender-alex-rance-is-the-best-oneonone-player-in-the-afl/story-fndv8t7m-1226978113033

Edit: Added link

[big tone]

Stats don't always tell the story but in this case I think it's pretty clear, Alex Rance is a bloody star! One of the only shinning lights this year.

[(•))(©™]

Martin and rance for captain.

[Yeahright]

Claw?

[the claw]

Claw?

you called what can ido for you.

[tigs2011]

 

[tony_montana]

 

[Yeahright]

Claw?

you called what can ido for you.

HAHA pay that. In seriousness I'm interested to hear your input on this. You've always had one big criticism of Rance and this is it. Perhaps you focused to much on his bad games (plenty early on) or you just think this is bullocks?

[tony_montana]

Everytime he won or halved a contest today against big sauce (which was plenty) the commentators would refer to this stat. Good to see Rance pumped up positively for a change

[The Machine]

Best FB in the comp by a long way

[Hellenic Tiger]

Has improved every year under Hardwick. Takes the big jobs every week and runs off his man.

Need a Brian Lake type to play alongside him also who can judge the ball well in flight and mark it.

Chaplin is obsolete for us atm. Last year he was that sort of player this year he is anything but.