‘Underwhelmed’ Rance taking it all in his stride

DEFENDING Richmond’s last line of defence against rampaging Adelaide is enough to make a grown man weep.

Yet Tigers vice-captain Alex Rance says a Zen-like feeling of calm has descended over him this week.

“This is a all kind of a new experience for me and I am sort of, I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but I am sort of underwhelmed,” he said at the Grand Final parade yesterday.

“It’s a good sense of calm, that I can actually enjoy it and not be clouded by nerves and I’m excited to see everyone else’s excitement.”

Being the best defender in the game helps with nerves, but Rance has also already seen most of the challenges likely be thrown at him today.

He says he has benefited by the increased attention thrust his way this year, as players like Port Adelaide’s Jackson Trengove tried to tag him at full back.

“I think it was good because there are always going to be times in games where things don’t go your way and you might mess up, through lack of concentration or fatigue.

“So it’s been good to add that little bit of extra training to my game.”

All week the Tigers have been asked about the RanceTaylor Walker match-up but he could easily spend more time on Josh Jenkins.

Under Richmond’s matchup policy Rance takes the for- ward closer to goal and David Astbury takes the roaming lead-up key forward.

“Yeah, pretty much I play deep but we play a team rotation style a lot of the time. So I will play deepest. It’s about having confidence in my place in the system.”