OLD GUILDFORDIANS
Heart of a Tiger
An Old Guildfordian, Alex Rance
(Fr 2005-2006), has established himself as
one of, if not the best, defensive players in
the Australian Football League (AFL). Having
been described by AFL legend Dustin Fletcher
as being “a player who you just love watching
and has a real impact on games”, his talents
have seen him perform at a consistently elite
level within his 175 career games.
Born in Perth, Alex was raised in a football
world with his dad, Murray Rance, a former
Footscray and West Coast Eagles player
and Captain of Swan Districts in the West
Australian Football League (WAFL). Alex
began his football at the High Wycombe
Junior Football Club before playing for
Noranda in the Western Australian Amateur
Football League and Guildford Grammar
School. He then moved on to playing for the
Swan Districts side in the WAFL before being
drafted into the AFL. His football talents have
impressed from an early age, being selected
into the Western Australian State 16’s and
18’s in 2005 and 2007 respectively.
Having been drafted in the 2007 National AFL
Draft as the 18th selection for that year, Alex
was picked up by Richmond and he made
his AFL debut two years later in Round 2 of
the 2009 season. Ever since his debut, he has
developed into the prolific player that he is
with the ability to lock down on opponents,
rebound offensively, take intercept marks and
use all traits when needed.
Despite being such an iconic player of
the game, Alex’s on-field talents do not
exclusively portray his individual character
The sweet taste of success! Our
congratulations go to Alex Rance and
his club, the Richmond Football Club, for
winning the AFL Premiership in 2017.
Photo courtesy of Richmond Football Club.
Alex proudly holds the Premiership Cup aloft with teammates Dylan Grimes and
David Astbury. Photo courtesy of Richmond Football Club.
and passions. Within the AFL world, Alex
rivals Patrick Dangerfield as the busiest media
presence; being a regular personality on
The Footy Show and joining the Postcards
program as a presenter. His bubbly and fun
persona make him a hit across television
screens, but he admits that at times he
struggles to find a balance between this and
his family and religious life. He has now created a Year 11 and 12 school
in Essendon that combines an AFL-related
focus with the Victorian Certificate of
Applied Learning. The school has developed
a curriculum that harnesses the passions of
students and gets them re-engaged in sport
with the help of industry professionals that
specialise in education and high-performance
management.
In 2015, Alex found himself in a rare
situation of nearly leaving the game and
retiring whilst he was in his best form. The
commitment of being a highly demanded
AFL player was taking away from his faith
and his family. Being described as a “gentle
soul with strong and consistent values”,
Rance found himself torn between football
and an alternative life. Managing to continue
his impressive and successful AFL career,
Alex now juggles a busy schedule that exists
outside of footy. With his AFL career still well and truly
flourishing, his exceptional form has been
recognised this season with his selection in
the All Australian side, the fourth year in a
row, and this year he was named Captain.
His performance in 2017, along with his
teammates at the Richmond Football Club,
have led all players to their debut in a
Grand Final against the Adelaide Crows,
also Richmond’s first appearance in the big
game since 1982. Richmond’s Grand Final
performance produced a fairytale ending,
with Alex being highlighted as the saviour at
pivotal times and helping to limit Adelaide
to their lowest score for the season. On the
day, Alex produced 11 well-timed and classy
disposals, putting him in contention for the
Norm Smith medal, and had Tigers fans
praising his decision to stay in the AFL.
As his influences reach further than his
presence as a key player for the Richmond
Football Club, Rance has followed a passion
within the education world and he has
started up his own school. Alex co-founded
a sporting school called ‘The Academy’ with
the ambitious plan to overhaul Victoria’s
teaching methods. Alex’s own educational
context has driven his passion for wanting
to influence the education system. Having
attended a non-denominational arts and
music based school before Guildford
Grammar School, his sporting passions
were not satisfied. He references attending
Guildford Grammar School as the turning
point, for there he was able to thrive under
an elite sporting program.
With his place in football being uncertain
due to his desires and visions in so many
other aspects of his life, the future for Alex
promises to be nothing but exciting. For
now, his performance on the footy field, in
addition to this recent Premiership win, is
continuing to cement his legacy within the
AFL. Coupled with the many pursuits and
passions that he is following, Alex Rance’s
positive influence is destined to grow.
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