Faith was always going to win out over footy, but Alex Rance’s legacy will live on forever at Punt Rd

In an age where a production line of AFL footballers are ordered to stick to the script others determine for them, Alex Rance has always been his own man, marching to his own beat.

Alex Rance retires as a Richmond legend. Picture: Getty Images

Alex Rance has never cared about following footy conventions.

In an age where a production line of AFL footballers are ordered to stick to the script others determine for them, Rance has always been his own man, marching to his own beat.

He once did it on a skateboard in a white suit and sunglasses all in the name of AFLX — and a good laugh.

He did it singing and dancing dressed as Aladdin, or soaping up the Richmond change rooms for a slip-and-slide session, or dressed up as Captain America.

Thankfully, he did his best work on the field as he transformed from a young player with questionable disposal and decision-making into one of the game’s greatest defenders.

He played footy with an innate sense of dare, taking on not just his own opponent, but almost entire forward lines.

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If Richmond was to recast its Team of the (20th) Century as its greatest side of all-time, he would be one of the first picked.

His penchant for doing things his way played a part in his shock decision to retire from AFL football — at 30 — to be closer to his family and to devote more time to his faith as a Jehovah’s Witness.

The “conflict”, as he called it, between football and faith ate away at him for years.

Faith was always going to win on Rance’s scoreboard, even if his desire to chase a second flag with the Tigers in 2020 — after a knee injury cost him this year — was strong.

Alex Rance was all smiles after the 2017 premiership. Picture: Getty Images

“Now I feel is the right time for me to put the same time and energy into other areas of my life that need it, and to prioritise the more important things to me, such as my spiritual growth, my family and friends,” Rance said.

He forecast this decision as far back as five years ago.

Rance explained on The Stack Report podcast last year how the contrasts between his beliefs and his football made for a delicate balancing act.

“When I want to talk to people about love and care, which are central parts of being a Jehovah’s Witness, it’s conflicting because (on the field) I’m beating someone up,” he said. “I’m trying to beat him, and put myself over him. But when I talk about the leadership side of things, I show that empathy, care and humility.

“It’s not an easy road to walk, when you have this conflict inside you.”

The Jehovah’s Witness website acknowledges playing sport as a means of “good health” and to “promote teamwork and self-discipline”. But it also warns about pitfalls when it comes to “violent” sports or “win-at-all-costs attitude”.

As the shock of Rance’s decision sinks in for Tigers fans, they can be thankful he played long enough to take his tally to 200 games and become one of the key figures in forging a modern dynasty at Punt Road.

Alex Rance didn’t play for the Tigers after injuring his knee. Picture: AAP Images

He will one day become an AFL Hall of Famer, having been a five-time All-Australian (one as skipper), a best-and-fairest winner and a premiership player in 2017.

Early in his time in yellow and black, he used to have what his coach once famously termed “Alex Rance moments” when his kicking and decision-making had Tigers fans looking the other way.

But he worked on those deficiencies, with his coming-of-age moment coming in the final round clash with Sydney in 2014 when he was a wall the Swans couldn’t get past in one of the best games of his career.

He never looked back.

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Those “Alex Rance moments” became things of beauty, not bewilderment.

He perfected the art of the interception, was one of the best one-on-one defenders the game has seen and his desperate acts — tackles, spoils, smothers and second efforts — and his leadership skills became a template future defenders will be judged on.

He’ll no doubt tackle the next stage of his life in the same manner.

Originally published as Faith was always going to win out over footy, but Alex Rance’s legacy will live on forever at Punt Rd