Alex Rance [merged]

[WilliamPowell]

Dale Morris is returning from an ACL after just 106 days.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-06-24/veteran-dog-set-for-vfl-return-106-days-after-acl-injury

Totally different to Rance's ACL

Alex = total tear of ACL, requiring surgery

Dale Morris = partial tear, didn't require surgery

[Tiger Khosh]

Alex = young stallion in his prime

Morris = old man coming off 2 partial tears 

[one-eyed]

Gale said Alex Rance was no certainty to return if the Tigers make the finals, but he wouldn’t rule out what would be a remarkable comeback from a knee reconstruction.

“You never know,” he said. “He is a very driven and assertive individual, but that will be up to the medical (staff).”

Source: Herald-Sun

[Gracie]

Whether or not Rance makes it back his work ethic, determination and leadership are all on display for his younger teammates

[Diocletian]

Should've been put on the LTI list which would've given us another mid-season draft pick.

[one-eyed]

Rance will be a guest on The Front Bar next week.

[Tiger Khosh]

Should've been put on the LTI list which would've given us another mid-season draft pick.

You don’t put someone like rance on the LTI list even if theirs only a small chance he’ll play again just so you can pick up some state league player who probably won’t play anyway.

[one-eyed]

Before the match, Hardwick said there remained ''a very small possibility'' that Rance could yet return to the line-up later this season, telling ABC radio that the 29 year old's rehabilitation from a knee reconstruction and training was ''going incredibly well''.

He said the Rance was such an important player that the Tigers would err on the side of caution with his comeback, but conceded it would be tempting to slot him back into the 22 if Richmond made the finals. ''It would be good to put that piece back in the puzzle,'' he said.

Source: The Age

[one-eyed]

Will he play in 2019? A conversation is coming with 'freak' defender, says Dimma 

AFL.com.au
Mitch Cleary
Jul 1, 2019

RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has declared a conversation is coming with "freak" defender Alex Rance over a possible 2019 return.

Just 15 weeks after surgery to repair his ruptured ACL, Rance is nearing full speed after stepping up his running in recent weeks.

While the Tigers remain focused on the 29-year-old's long-term future, Hardwick concedes the Rance magnet is a tempting proposition.

"He's going incredibly well. It's scary how much of a freak of an athlete he is," Hardwick told ABC on Sunday.

"He's that far ahead of schedule, it's not funny. He's probably going to challenge us (for a return) at some stage.

"The danger for us that he's such an important player but also, when I do see him moving, I think: 'Oooh, [it'd] be good to put that piece back on the puzzle, wouldn't it?'.

"He's going really, really well. He's an incredible performer and we look forward to having him back at some stage, whether it's this year we're not too sure."

Collingwood veteran Tyson Goldsack returned in the VFL just over 20 weeks after tearing his ACL in pre-season following an aggressive rehab last year.

Hardwick refused to shut the door on Rance doing a similar thing this season.

"There's a very small possibility (for 2019)," Hardwick said.

"We're very conservative with the important player that he is, a five-time All Australian, All Australian captain so you don't want to put him at any risk, and that will be first and foremost in our minds."

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-07-01/will-he-play-in-2019-a-conversation-is-coming-with-freak-defender-says-dimma

[YellowandBlackBlood]

The problem with coming back earlier is that the longer you leave the graft the more it scars up and the stronger it gets.....

[Hard Roar Tiger]

The problem with coming back earlier is that the longer you leave the graft the more it scars up and the stronger it gets.....

Exactly, couple this with the strain his lateral movement would put on his graft (one of his strengths as a player but a huge strain on that graft) and I wouldn’t risk him.

[one-eyed]

Rance recovering at ‘warp speed’

JON RALPH,
Herald Sun
July 3, 2019

Richmond says it is not prepared to risk Alex Rance’s future for a short-term premiership tilt despite his astonishing ACL recovery so far.

The Tigers have left open the possibility he could return this year, with Rance completing sprints last week.

Coach Damien Hardwick conceded the star defender was recovering at warp speed.

But leading medical experts such as Dr Peter Larkins have warned that an ACL graft is at its weakest around the time Rance would be returning after 25 weeks.

Richmond football boss Neil Balme said yesterday the club had to allowed Rance to push his recovery given he was determined to play again this year.

But he said the decision would be made after consultation between the club’s surgeon and medical staff.

“The medicos will talk to his surgeon and really it will be a question of the risk if he plays as opposed to the risk of him playing next year and if there is any significant difference he won’t be playing,” Balme said.

“That’s only my opinion and we don’t want to put it out of the question because he needs to strive for something.”

Rance’s contract was last year extended to 2021, with the five-time All Australian easily able to play well into his 30s if his motivation levels stay high.

He had at one stage considered retiring before his most recent contract but with his pace and intercepting skills he could easily play on like Matthew Scarlett, who retired at 33.

Rance went down in Round 1 and while Tyson Goldsack and Dale Morris have made miracle returns from ACL ruptures neither had anything to lose if their knees buckled again given they were in the final years of their contracts.

Shane Edwards told the Herald Sun after the win over St Kilda he was amazed by Rance’s recovery.

“When you watch him train you can get carried away because he looks so good. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has taken his rehab to another level and comes back but at the same time you don’t want to sacrifice an Alex Rance again, so they are big decisions.”

Jack Riewoldt told his Balls and Bumpers podcast last week the club would have to have “adult conversations” with Rance given the speed of his recovery.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/richmond-not-prepared-to-risk-alex-rance-despite-stunning-progress-on-knee-injury/news-story/82f9b36b9f334d239aa5d5dcda1e947e

[Jackstar is back!!!]

 Balme says very unlikely
That means he will be playing Round 21 😉

[one-eyed]

Dimma on Rance's chances of a comeback this year:


The Tigers haven't closed the door on a miraculous return this season for Alex Rance, who ruptured his ACL in round one, but Hardwick admitted it was highly unlikely they'd risk the star defender.

"He's a very, very small chance," Hardwick said.

"The probability of re-injuring the ACL as compared to the long-term career that he obviously has [ahead of him], he's a five-time All-Australian so we're not going to take a risk with a player of that calibre."

Source: The Age

[taztiger4]

just placed on LTIL