Rance deserves to be looked after: DeledioJay Clark
Herald Sun
August 1, 2016RICHMOND midfielder Brett Deledio says gun defender Alex Rance deserves to have a longer off-season break than his teammates because of his exemplary performance.
There have been reports of disharmony at Richmond because Rance enjoys a longer summer break away from the club than others.
The Tigers agreed to his extended annual leave request when the 26-year-old re-signed a lucrative four-year deal to stay at Punt Rd last season.
But Deledio was adamant there was no friction about it among the playing ranks and that teammates only joked about Rance’s longer off-season break as part of normal footy club banter.
“It’s like any other footy club, it’s about ribbing him (Rance) and giving him a bit of stick more than anything else,” Deledio said last week on Triple M.
“Alex has certainly shown that he deserves to be looked after.
“You want to almost make sure that he is in pristine condition.”
Rance won Richmond’s best and fairest last year and is favoured to finish in the top-two this season alongside star midfielder Dustin Martin, after another excellent season.
The powerhouse defender is aiming for his third-straight All-Australian guernsey.
The West Australian has played 16 games this season and is on track to play his 150th match against Sydney Swans at the SCG in Round 23.
Deledio said Rance has earned the off-season privilege and kept himself in top condition during his break anyway.
“Without being back day one (of preseason) with everyone else, he came back (from the longer break) and ran a PB (personal best) last year when he did come back, so he certainly looks after himself,” Deledio said.
“He certainly does everything right to get those breaks.”
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