Rance shock taken in stride

AS season-defining setbacks go, Alex Rance’s knee reconstruction has turned out all right for Richmond.

When Rance went down in the Round 1 win over Carlton, the popular opinion was that eventually it would catch up with the Tigers.

Surely — no matter how well they covered his loss — at some point late in the season his absence would bite them.

They’re still waiting. Richmond will carry an 11-game winning streak into today’s grand final against GWS.

In that streak, no opponent has kicked more than 13 goals.

Defenders Dylan Grimes and Bachar Houli are their 2019 All-Australians and Nick Vlastuin and David Astbury have been outstanding. Their back six or seven is settled, well-drilled and rock solid.

“It would be great to have him back and I would take him back in a heartbeat,” Grimes said of Rance yesterday.

“It’s been in some ways probably my most challenging year by a long way, but in other ways it’s been my most rewarding year.

“You rely on your best players to play well and when they’re not there you have to step up and rather than having one or two step up. We’ve tried to make it a collective effort to fill in that hole.

“We’ve learnt a lot collectively and as individuals but there will be no bigger challenge than tomorrow.”

Just as Richmond has Tom Lynch and Jack Riewoldt as their deadly key-forward duo, Jeremy Cameron and Jeremy Finlayson lead a potent Giants attack. Toby Greene, so influential in the rugged semi-final win over Brisbane, also drifts forward to lethal effect and Brent Daniels’s matchwinning goal at The Gabba showcased his blistering speed.