Can we win the flag without Rance?

[mightytiges]

I understand your point but I don’t think many commentators are writing us off.

The bookies have already dumped us as flag favourite.

One loss and watch the usual suspect journos try to blame it on the loss of Rance and write us off.

[the claw]

this is what ive been going on about for ages.

lose Rance or astbury and all we have is a bloke whos played two games in garthwaite or we rely on Balta who is only 19 and playe one game.
Lose JR or Lynch or god forbid both and we are asking one gamer Balta and 8 gamer Moore to fill the void.
Lose nankervis and it is exactly the same sort of thing. The only areas we have real depth in when it comes to games played is small fwds and med /sml defenders.

It is the same for every team finding the right balance between getting games into juniors and playing the senior blokes. Having so few injuries over the last 4 or so yrs really hurts us when it comes to games into what is essentially the depth.

[the claw]

According to most tiger extremists we have wonderful depth and it should not be a problem.
I mean to say one player does not make a team in anyones language does it.

[YellowandBlackBlood]

Well, the year will tell the truth. Anyway, there is no team in the history of football that could easily replace a five time AA backman who is one of the best defenders the game has seen. The only way really is everyone raising their performances another few percent to cover his loss because you can't have any player walk in and perform the job Rance does as well as he does.

[one-eyed]

ARE RICHMOND WRECKED WITHOUT RANCE?

News Corp
25 March 2019

It might have happened on Thursday night, in the season opener but the biggest talking point has to be what will the Tigers do without their rock?

For so long Alex Rance has been the man the Tigers can depend upon. He’s rarely injured, always reliable, shuts down key forwards and marshalls their defence.

Now, after an ACL tear, his season is over. The question remains does it end Richmond’s hopes of a flag in 2019?

Conventional wisdom says one player in a side of stars does not but Rance is such a vital cog in the Richmond chain that replacing him is nigh impossible.

Certainly former Richmond star David King thinks it impacts the Tigers tremendously.

“This guy’s not a defender. He’s not. He’s more than that,” King told SEN’s Crunch Time.

“The guys you talk about to pick up the slack in David Astbury and Dylan Grimes, they’re dour defenders, they negate. Rance doesn’t negate.

“There’s no greater influence on the offensive scoreboard once an intercept has been won than Alex Rance, he’s been number one in the competition for the last four years at creating a score from his intercept.

“Now that intercept can be on the goal line or it can be pressing up the ground which Richmond love to do.

“I just put a big asterisk on this … what Rance does covers for six players.”

The man they could put there according to Richmond coach Damien Hardwick is youngster Ryan Garthwaite, who has played (checks notes) a total of two senior AFL games.

“We have a young boy Garthwaite who we are really excited about,” Hardwick said on Thursday night.

“It was his first game back today. He’s probably the guy that first comes to mind from that. He’s put in two years hard work in the VFL but been a very valuable player for us.

“We might juggle some things around. Could Noah Balta go back? We aren’t sure. We will take stock tonight and work our way through it tomorrow.”

Spin it however way you want the loss of Rance doesn't look good for Richmond but could they gamble and try new recruit Tom Lynch in the role? He kicked three on debut but the Tigers are not short on firepower up front. Maybe that is also an option.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/talking-points-from-round-one-of-the-2019-afl-season/news-story/a2441cea40662777f375da5589abce97

[lamington]

When did David King ever play for Richmond? Also who said anything about him ever being a star?

[one-eyed]

King was on SEN with Whateley this morning basically saying without saying it directly that we can't win the flag. They are expecting and waiting for us to fall over this week against the Pies before they stick the boots in.

[one-eyed]

The Barometer - Round 2

Al Paton
Herald-Sun
25 March 2019

RICHMOND

Can they win it without Rance? That’s the million-dollar question and we probably won’t know the answer until September. The Tigers will hope their incredible defensive system can absorb the loss.

Youngster Ryan Garthwaite has shown in his brief AFL appearances he is capable of doing a job on a key forward, but he can’t replace Rance’s inspiration and leadership. Fortunately, there is another player who could. Tiger fans dreamed for years of Nick Vlastuin becoming a star midfielder, but after 117 games maybe this is the former Vic Metro captain’s calling.

Having Tom Lynch boot 60-plus goals at the other end would also help a lot.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/barometer-all-the-latest-injury-news-at-your-club-after-round-1/news-story/4d02c49300d3bf6824cafcc66979b29e

[one-eyed]

“It’s going to challenge the Tigers, no doubt, but they really do seemingly have a strong defensive mechanism,” Buckley said on SEN’s Whateley.

“The individual that comes in will not replace Alex Rance but he’ll be asked to play his role.

“They will be harder to scout for.

“Rance was always a player that you had to consider with your strategies and your front half but they’ve still got some pretty good players back there that we’ll be considering.

“If you are a Richmond club member, player or supporter, you’d feel like you are going to be worse off because he’s a superstar of the competition.

“But the other thing that can happen and does happen is it galvanises the group and you’ve already seen that. Richmond’s chemistry and feel and connection is really strong.

“They are clearly going to support him and be galvanised by it.”

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2019/03/25/rance-injury-to-galvanise-richmond/

[one-eyed]

Judd on FC last night said we can't win it now without Rance.

[Tiger Tragic]

Judd on FC last night said we can't win it now without Rance.

This is awesome.  All these people writing us off.  Just what Dimma likes to work with.

[one-eyed]

This week on The Age Real Footy Podcast, Michael Gleeson, Jake Niall and Caroline Wilson discuss the implications it could have for the Tigers all over the ground, not just in defence. Will Tom Lynch be pulled into the ruck? Which young Tiger could step up for Rance? And are we underestimating Dylan Grimes?

https://www.theage.com.au/podcast/the-age-real-footy-podcast/how-will-the-tigers-replace-alex-rance-20190325-p517ei.html

[Dougeytherichmondfan]

Judd on FC last night said we can't win it now without Rance.

This is awesome.  All these people writing us off.  Just what Dimma likes to work with.

Its hilarious really. Like, we CAN'T win the flag?! Full stop? We're as likely as GC or Carl?

I mean, we're less likely, I completely concede that. But, to say black and white - no chance lance is just headline chasing or anti-richmond baloney.

If someone had asked me in the middle or 2017 if we were winning the flag I would have said I can't see it. I feel more confident about us now than back then.

[Assange Tiger 😎]

In fairness to the idiot naysayers,

we'd say the same thing if Max Gawn went down at Melbourne or probably McGovern at WC. pretty natural thing for people who don't support that club to believe really

[one-eyed]

The four signs that will expose whether Richmond can win flag without Alex Rance

March 28, 2019
Sarah Olle
FOX SPORTS

Richmond’s first big test without Alex Rance will be on Thursday night when the Tigers take on Collingwood, the club that dismantled their defence in last year’s Preliminary Final.

The adjustment may take some time, particularly given veteran defender Bachar Houli is also missing from the line up because of a hamstring concern.

The likes of Brandon Ellis and Oleg Markov have some big shoes to fill, with dual North Melbourne premiership player David King suggesting there’ll be some telling initial signs.

“I’ve probably stopped short a couple of times of saying, ‘They can’t win without (Rance)’,” King said on Fox Footy’s AFL 360.

“But the more you watch — particularly from behind the goals — it’s not that you can’t replace the player, it’s that he does so much in their system. He is the system.

“He is the reason they play the way they do. They have a forward half press because this guy can do everything.”

King said he’d be watching out for these four signs to ascertain whether the Tigers “could cope” without Rance.

1. “If too many Richmond defenders fly because there’s no trust.

If four go up, the ball spills and it’s an easy goal.”

2. “Where someone gets the position wrong in the system.

Then there’s an easy goal out the back.”

3. “They just get beaten.

Maybe they just get beaten one-on-one which doesn’t happen against Richmond.”

4. “Who is it that’s going to elevate?

Is it (Nick) Vlastuin? Is it (David) Astbury? Is it (Dylan) Grimes? Or is it the group?”

While teams — like West Coast in 2018, who were without three of their best starting 22 including key position player Nic Naitanui — have shown an incredible ability to overcome adversity, King said Richmond’s loss was perhaps the most significant.

“I think we’re going to form some pretty strong opinions in the next couple of weeks,” he said.

“But this is a greater loss than I’ve ever seen to a team in a premiership window.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2019-the-four-signs-that-will-expose-whether-richmond-can-win-flag-without-alex-rance/news-story/5689683eadc5442e3209ae834f82385a?nk=549295d40180edd4d0f6eb46d0604328-1553730256