Faith over football: AFL star Alex Rance’s higher mark

At Punt Road, he’s endearingly described as ‘stark raving mad’. But retirement was a considered choice for Alex Rance.

Alex Rance in action in 2018. Picture: AFL Media

There’s no “eat ’em alive” at Punt Road these days.

Instead, it is all about mindfulness, meditation and an authentic leadership style that aims to find a purpose higher than simply winnin­g football games.

Which is exactly what Alex Rance is doing. The superstar Richmond defend­er with the clean-cut looks and gregarious personality, who won a drought-breaking premiership in 2017 and has been named All-Australian five times, took an unexpected path on Thursday, walking away from a $2m contract with the defend­ing AFL premiers.

Instead, the devoted Jehovah’s Witness who runs a school and has written several children’s books, said it was time for him to end the “conflict” between football and his faith.

“Richmond will always hold a huge part in my heart.” 💛🖤

💬 Rancey’s message for the Tiger Army... pic.twitter.com/6CoMtcolkB

— Richmond FC 🐯🏆 (@Richmond_FC) December 19, 2019

“The main focus of my life I want going forward is my spiritual growth, just to dedicate more time and energy to that,” he explained when announcing his retirement.

“It is time to look after my own happiness and growth.”

Richmond crushed the GWS Giants in September to win its secon­d grand final in three years, capping a superb period in which it has won two grand finals and lost a preliminary final in between after topping the ladder.

The era has seen Richmond return­ to the top of the pile in Melbourne, boasting a devoted and loud army of more than 100,000 members and an exciting game plan centring around star players such as Dustin Martin and Rance, whose intercept marking became his spectacular calling card.

Former Richmond defender Alex Rance. Picture: AAP

The Tigers are well and truly back after three previous decades in the wilderness.

But modern Richmond is different­ to the ruthless days of Tommy Hafey, Royce Hart, Kevin Bartlett and other legends — and Rance has been at the ­centre of the changes, which while different to “old footy” have proven wildly successful.

Richmond is a team that embrace­s mindfulness, has a playing group more attuned to phrases such as “inclusiveness” and follows the teachings of authentic leadership under coach Damien Hardwick, who has built a culture in which players and coaches are unafraid to show emotions and vulnerability. 

It has manifested itself in “hero hardship highlight” ­sessions, where players share ­stories with the aim of everybody being able to simply express themselves, not pretending to be different just to blend in.

It is meant to create a bond of trust between the players off the field, which would translate to inspired efforts for each other on it.

Chief executive Brendon Gale, a former Tigers player in the mostly down years, talks about building a club that exists for a “deeper purpose” than just winning­ footy matches, even if it helped to have star players such as Martin, Rance and captain Trent Cotchin to lead the way on the field.

Rance was at the centre of it. Gale called him “stark raving mad”, although he meant it in ­endearing terms.

Richmond CEO Brendon Gale announces the retirement of Tigers defender Alex Rance at the Swinburne Centre in Melbourne. Picture: Getty Images

Richmond’s chief executive noted Rance would be missed off the field as he was a “real leader and connector” who led by example and had boundless energy.

It is that culture that explains why Rance was comfortable enough to talk about wanting to focus on “spiritual growth” and admit to football making him feel “uneasy”, while confessing to shedding “plenty of tears” and going through half a tissue box when he told his teammates of his retirement decision.

“I’m a pretty emotional guy. I play that way, I lead that way. I’m not ashamed of it,” he added.

While Rance missed the ­recent grand final win and much of the 2019 season with a knee ­injury, he had been making good progress in his recovery and was in full training earlier this week.

He said his knee was fine to go and played down fears he was ­really retiring because his body could take no more of the ­physical pre-season and 22 AFL matches plus finals each year.

As for how he would remember his time in football, Rance talked about the off-field connection he had forged with his fellow defenders and an almost “telepathic” understanding they had.

Sad for footy that Alex Rance has retired , I firmly believe that players get better by the generation , even allowing for that cycle of constant improvement no other key defender I have seen matches his dominating presence to control the back 50 , he has been an all time great

— Leigh Matthews (@LeighRMatthews) December 19, 2019

Yet Rance, 30, said he had long grappled with the demands of the sport, given its all-consuming ­nature in Melbourne in particular — and his all-in personality as well — and had contemplated leaving the game in 2015 and also last year.

Those thoughts, he said, had really hit home during one particula­r incident that had played on his mind for some time.

“At a function, one of the boys came up to one of my family and said: ‘It must be amazing being around Rancey — he must be the funniest guy and have a laugh all the time.’

“(And they said) ‘What do you mean? He just sleeps all the time.’

“That has always stuck in my mind, that I don’t want to be that any more, I want to be my best (for my family).

“I want to be that funny larrikin to them.”