Richmond defender Alex Rance finally comes of age Jon Ralph
From: Herald Sun
August 27, 2011 ALEX Rance agreed to terms on a new two-year deal this week.
Not so long ago that development could have elicited varying emotions from those associated with the Richmond Football Club.
The fans wondered if the No.18 draft pick was yet another bust, and the coach himself admitted recently he had harboured "doubts" about Rance's future.
The man himself knew the heat was coming; he was a top-20 draft selection, so why wasn't the fourth-year defender playing like it?
Yet, in a year when Richmond's tall defenders have toppled like ninepins, Rance has emerged a player redefined.
His scalps include Adam Goodes and Jonathan Brown, he averages an amazing 19 possessions a game and he ranks first at Richmond for winning the ball back off the opposition.
All of a sudden, the Tigers could just have a defender to build their back six around for the next decade.
"It's a couple of years, so it's a good result," Rance said this week about the new deal.
"I am pretty pumped to be part of the future of the club, so it's a pretty good feeling.
"This year has been a really big learning year for me and I feel like I have made a lot of improvement."
When the Tigers recruited West Australian defender Rance at the end of 2007, he was a very different player.
He came through the junior system as a tall rebounding defender and onballer, but he couldn't handle the big dogs and his skills weren't good enough for the midfield.
"I think maybe in years gone past I had a false idea of what sort of player I was," said Rance, son of Footscray and West Coast player Murray Rance.
"I thought I was a running defender, but here there are other blokes to do that job.
"It mainly stemmed from the under-18s. I was playing as a midfielder and getting a bit of the ball, and we had a really good side with (Nic) Naitanui, and (Chris) Yarran and Jeff (Garlett), and I was getting touches, and I thought I could do it at top level.
"Now I am happy playing in my spot, and I can see that I can improve and grow in those areas."
Weaknesses identified, he made a beeline for backline coach and former Brisbane star Justin Leppitsch.
"I knew I had deficiencies in my game, and I went and talked to Lepper about it, and he stripped my game back to its most basic," Rance said.
"He helped with footwork, and probably more reading the play better and having a bit more of a cool head.
"I also did a lot of technique work with my running style to try to get to and impact on as many contests as I could."
A look at Champion Data's stats on 21-year-old Rance this year is revealing.
Drew Petrie (five goals) got a hold of him in Round 5, and Western Bulldog Will Minson kicked four on him in Round 8.
But the likes of Stuart Crameri, Goodes (twice), James Podsiadly, Brown and Quinten Lynch have all been well held or beaten by Rance.
He leads the spoils at Richmond with 117 -34 more than any other Tiger -- and has 104 possession gains (again No.1 at the club), which are possessions won back from the opposition.
Richmond recruiter Francis Jackson, who recruited future captain Trent Cotchin at pick two in the same draft, says Rance has finally matured.
"He was always ultra-competitive but he needed to polish up a few of his skills. It is terrific to see him progress. It is a fantastic tick for perseverance. His positioning and defensive techniques have been really good, and he has never had trouble finding the footy. So, it's a credit to him that he's constantly improved," he said.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-defender-alex-rance-finally-comes-of-age/story-e6frf9mx-1226123250560
