Dane Rampe continues to take down rivals as footy’s most under-appreciated defender

With no Alex Rance the position of starting full-back in the All-Australian team is up for grabs, and a goalpost-shaking Swan is right in the running. Who is your pick?

Dane Rampe played his 150th game earlier this year. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Dane Rampe just isn’t your man if you are picking players who have flown under the radar this year.

Goalpost-gate plus a telling 50m penalty and $10,000 umpire abuse fine on successive Friday nights mean Rampe didn’t know where to hide for a period earlier this year.

And yet if Rampe’s wounds were self-inflicted on that front, you can make a case he is footy’s most under-appreciated player this year.

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As a list of star defenders step up to fill the All-Australian void left by Alex Rance’s knee injury, consider Rampe’s credentials.

A player standing 189cm tall and weighing only 89kg has taken on and beaten the best forwards in the year all season.

He has conceded a goal or less to Ben Brown, Jack Gunston, Jake Stringer, Charlie Cameron, Jayden Stephenson and Eddie Betts while still ranking elite for disposals, intercept possessions and metres gained.

Rampe is on track to replicate 2016’s All Australian jumper either as a second defender or ahead of fellow full back contenders Robbie Tarrant, Mark Blicavs or Harris Andrews.

And yet the man himself has had enough on his plate this year with his new role as co-captain — and the fine for umpire abuse — to consider where he fits into the All Australian picture.

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“I got a spot in 2016 and it was obviously an incredible privilege and a big honour but the good thing about this year has been being a captain I haven’t focused on any of that stuff. Having the extra responsibility narrows the focus and I think my form has been sharpened on the back of that,” he said this week.

“To be honest I haven’t thought too much about (individual honours), I have had other things going on this year so I am pretty happy to lay low and go about my business.”

Dane Rampe argues with an umpire after giving away a free kick given against the Bombers. Pic: Phil Hillyard

Dane Rampe shakes the goalpost after the siren against the Dons.

Scaling a goalpost in the last seconds of the Essendon game was always going to be big news but the timing of his twin infractions didn’t help either.

“Yeah, it was interesting. I guess it was kind of a rush of blood to the head. It was unfortunate. It happened on a Friday night and both of them — Collingwood and Essendon — were big Friday night games so it was an interesting couple of weeks but safe to say I will learn from it and I will be laying low from now on.”

Rampe has always taken a variety of opponents but when Heath Grundy went down with a back injury this year he started marching back to the last line of defence.

This week it will be milestone man Tom Hawkins — conceding 12kg and 9cm — but he would be equally adept on Gary Ablett, Grian Myers or Patrick Dangerfield.

“To be honest I love the challenge. John Longmire has faith in me to get the job done even though I am outsized and I try to react before my opponent does. A lot of it is timing with my bodywork off the ball. With the Geelong forward line it’s star-studded and at times I will just be the deepest depending upon who is deepest.

Rampe can play on all shapes and sizes. Pic: Phil Hillyard

“I haven’t played on Gary Ablett and that would be an interesting match up, there is Tom Hawkins and I spent time on Gary Rohan earlier this year.”

Sydney’s co-captaincy model — he shares it with Luke Parker and Josh Kennedy — raised eyebrows earlier but has allowed him to tap into the younger half of the list.

“Diversity is key. It has helped us with the young group. It is bizarre really, the next generation are a lot different to when I started playing.

“What I have noticed is a lot of the young generation are seeking instant gratification.

“They are used to it, when we were younger you didn’t have instant feedback from the game until later in the week, but these kids are dealing with a whole lot of new issues and it’s really enjoyable to guide them through it.”