Alex Rance facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alex Rance
Rance with Richmond in March 2017
Personal information
Full name	Alex James Rance
Nickname(s)	Tross
Date of birth	(1989-10-09) 9 October 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth	Perth, Western Australia
Original team	Swan Districts (WAFL)
Draft	No. 18, 2007 national draft
Debut	Round 2, 2009, Richmond v. Geelong, at Kardinia Park
Position(s)	Fullback
Career highlights
AFL AFL premiership player: 2017 5× All-Australian team: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 (c), 2018 22under22 team: 2012 Richmond Jack Dyer Medal (RFC B&F): 2015 2× Jack Titus Medal (2nd RFC B&F): 2016, 2017 Richmond vice-captain: 2017–2019 Richmond Life Member

Alex James Rance (born 9 October 1989) is a former professional Australian rules footballer. He played for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Rance was a premiership player and a five-time All-Australian. He also captained the All-Australian team once. He won Richmond's best-and-fairest award one time. Many people think he was one of the best defenders of his time. From 2017 to 2019, he was also Richmond's co-vice captain.

Early Life & Junior Football

Alex Rance comes from a family of footballers. His dad, Murray Rance, played for Footscray and West Coast. He was also a captain for Swan Districts in the WAFL. Alex was born in Perth. He started playing junior football at Noranda Junior Football Club.

Later, he played for Noranda in the Western Australian Amateur Football League. Then he moved to the Swan Districts team in the WAFL. In 2007, Rance played for Western Australia in the Under 18 National Championships. His team won the championship. He was also chosen as an All-Australian player. He finished high school at Guildford Grammar School in Perth.

Alex Rance's AFL Career

Starting Out (2008-2010)

Richmond picked Alex Rance in the 2007 AFL national draft. He was the 18th player chosen overall. In his first year (2008), he played for Richmond's reserve team, Coburg Football Club. He played well enough to be an emergency player for AFL games. But he did not play his first AFL game that year.

Rance made his AFL debut in 2009. This was in Round 2 against Geelong. He played 15 senior matches that year. He also kicked his first career goal in Round 19. In 2010, Rance played in different positions. He played as a key position player, a half-back, and even on-ball. He kicked a career-high three goals in one game. He considered moving to another club but decided to stay with Richmond.

Becoming a Star Defender (2011-2013)

The 2011 season was a big year for Rance. He played in Richmond's senior team from Round 4 onwards. He was praised for his strong defence. He improved a lot as a key position defender. He learned many technical skills from his coach. Rance won the club's Most Improved Player award that season.

In 2012, Rance continued to get better. He showed great skill in defending and moving the ball forward. In one game, he had a career-best 34 disposals and 17 marks. He also got his first Brownlow Medal votes. He played all 22 matches that year. Rance finished sixth in the club's best and fairest award.

The 2013 season saw Rance become Richmond's top defender. He played against some of the league's best forwards. He helped his team reach the finals for the first time in 12 years. He was ranked ninth in the league for marks. He also won the Francis Bourke award for being a great clubman.

All-Australian Years & Premiership (2014-2017)

In 2014, Rance missed five games due to a foot injury. His coach called him the best "one-on-one player" in the league. He was chosen for his first All-Australian team. This meant he was one of the best players in the league. Rance later said he thought about quitting football after this season.

In 2015, there was talk about Rance leaving Richmond. But he signed a new four-year contract. He continued to be one of the best defenders. He won the Jack Dyer Medal as Richmond's best and fairest player. He was also selected as an All-Australian for the second time.

Before the 2016 season, Rance joined Richmond's leadership group. He was chosen as an All-Australian for the third year in a row. This was a club record. He almost won his second best-and-fairest award. He also played his 150th game for Richmond and became a life member of the club.

The 2017 season was amazing for Rance and Richmond. He was named co-vice captain. He led Richmond's defence, which was the best in the league. He was named in the All-Australian team for the fourth time. He was also chosen as the team's captain. Rance helped Richmond win the 2017 AFL premiership. This was a huge win for the club. He was one of the best players in the Grand Final.

Later Career & Retirement (2018-2019)

In 2018, Rance was named the best defender in the game by players. He was also the sixth best player overall. He continued to play strongly for Richmond. He signed a new two-year contract. Rance captained Richmond for the first time in one game. He was named All-Australian for the fifth year in a row. This was a rare achievement. He finished sixth in Richmond's best and fairest count.

Rance played his 200th AFL match in 2019. This was in the first game of the season. Sadly, he badly injured his knee during that match. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This meant he would miss the rest of the season. Even though he couldn't play, Rance helped the team. He coached the club's VFL team, which won a premiership. Richmond also won the AFL premiership that year, even without him.

On December 19, 2019, Alex Rance announced his retirement from football. He said he wanted to focus on "more important things" in his life. He mentioned spiritual growth, family, and friends. His knee injury was fully healed, but he felt he needed to spend time on other parts of his life. Richmond's CEO, Brendon Gale, called Rance "one of the finest players" in the club's history.

Playing Style

Alex Rance played as a key-position defender. Many people think he is one of the best defenders ever. Since 2014, he has often been called the best defender in the game. His coach even called him "the fullback of the century." Experts praised his ability to leave his direct opponent. This allowed him to mark balls coming into defence. After he retired, he was still called the greatest defender of the modern era. In his early years, he also played as a wingman or forward.

Other Work

Alex Rance has done other work outside of football. In 2016 and 2017, he was a guest on The Footy Show. He also co-hosted the AFL Exchange podcast. In 2017, he became a presenter on the TV show Postcards.

In 2016, Rance started The Academy. This was an Australian rules football school for high school students. It aimed to give students other sports opportunities. The Academy closed in 2023. Rance is also a children's book author. He wrote Tiger's Roar (2018), Rabbit's Hop, and Monkey's Tail (2019).

Personal Life

Alex Rance's father, Murray Rance, played for Footscray and West Coast. His cousin, David Ellard, played for Carlton. Rance is a devout Jehovah's Witness. While playing football, he studied carpentry, building, and piloting. He also worked part-time in real estate sales.

Statistics

Honours and Achievements

Team

• AFL premiership player: 2017
• McClelland Trophy (Richmond): 2018

Individual

• 5× All-Australian team: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
• All-Australian Captain: 2017
• 22under22 team: 2012
• Jack Dyer Medal (RFC B&F): 2015
• Richmond vice-captain: 2017–2019
• Richmond most improved player: 2011
• 6× Francis Bourke award (Richmond best clubman)

Junior

• U18 National Championship: 2007
• U18 All-Australian: 2007

Images for kids

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  Alex Rance kicks the football during a 2017 game.

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  Rance takes a mark in front of Sydney forward Lance Franklin in 2017.

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  Rance during the 2017 AFL Grand Final parade.

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  Rance celebrates with teammates after Richmond's 2019 Grand Final win, which he missed due to injury.