Alex Rance’s rise to Jack Dyer Medallist in 2015 was built on an impressively high level of consistency over the course of the entire season.
Apart from a very brief period during the early rounds, Rance led the Best and Fairest count throughout.
Under the new Jack Dyer Medal voting system, Rance received five votes (the most available) on four occasions and, only four times in his 23 games, did he not poll.
He became the first key defender to win Richmond’s B & F since Darren Gaspar in 2001, and the first non-midfielder since Jack Riewoldt in 2010.
Watch Alex Rance's acceptance speech at the Jack Dyer Medal


It was a steady build-up to Alex Rance’s first Jack Dyer Medal triumph . . .
Rance finished equal sixth in the Best and Fairest in 2011, sixth in 2012, sixth in 2013 and equal seventh in 2014, before saluting this year.


Dustin Martin kept his fine Jack Dyer Medal record intact with his second placing in the 2015 count.
It’s the second time Martin has finished runner-up in the B & F, and he’s been a top-10 place-getter in each of his six seasons of league football with the Tigers.
He was fourth in his 2010 debut season, third in 2011, equal 10th in 2012, second in 2013, third in 2014, and, now, second again in 2015.


Brett Deledio is another perennial Best and Fairest vote-catcher . . .
Deledio, a dual Jack Dyer Medallist, and runner-up twice, finished fourth this year, despite missing five games through injury.
He had only two votes after six rounds (having been sidelined for four weeks), but powered home with 52 votes in his last 16 games (he missed one more game due to injury late in the season).
Only once in the 18 games that Deledio played for the season did he not poll a Jack Dyer Medal vote.


Jack Riewoldt hasn’t missed a top-10 placing in the Best and Fairest during Damien Hardwick’s coaching reign at Tigerland.
Since winning the Jack Dyer Medal in 2010 (Hardwick’s first season in charge), Riewoldt has finished ninth in 2011, ninth in 2012, equal seventh in 2013, fifth in 2014 and fifth again this year.


Richmond’s excellent win against eventual 2015 premier team Hawthorn in the Round 18 Friday night clash at the MCG was highlighted with the Jack Dyer Medal votes from that game.
Five Tiger players polled the maximum five votes each – Alex Rance, Brett Deledio, Anthony Miles, Ivan Maric and Trent Cotchin.
It was the most five votes recorded in a match during season 2015.


At the other end of the scale, only eight Richmond players received Best and Fairest votes in the disappointing 2015 elimination final loss to North Melbourne.
Alex Rance, Jack Riewoldt, Dylan Grimes and Bachar Houli led the way with four votes apiece.


Anthony Miles went from topping the votes per game average in last year’s Jack Dyer Medal count to fourth place in 2015.
Miles made 13 senior appearances in his 2014 debut season with the Tigers and played all 23 games this year.


Nick Vlastuin made big strides in the 2015 Jack Dyer Medal . . .
The composed, courageous, young defender climbed from 16th in 2014 to equal sixth in this, his third year of AFL football.


Bachar Houli has managed a top-10 Jack Dyer Medal placing in each year since joining Richmond from Essendon.
Houli was fourth in his first season at Tigerland in 2011, equal 10th in 2012, 10th in 2013, ninth in 2014 and eighth this year.


Shane Edwards was well on track for a personal-best Jack Dyer Medal finish in 2015 until injury intervened.
The talented playmaker, who finished a career-high fourth last year, had polled 27 votes up to the Tigers’ bye in Round 11, despite missing two games with a calf complaint.
He then suffered a hairline fracture in his leg during the Round 15 clash with Carlton, which sidelined him for a further five games and put paid to his chances of a high B & F placing (he finished 15th).


Dylan Grimes’ improvement in 2015 was highlighted with his Jack Dyer Medal voting.
The dependable defender managed a top-10 placing in the Best and Fairest for the first time in his six-year league career.
He finished equal ninth with Shaun Grigg on 44 votes.
Grimes polled Jack Dyer Medal votes in 17 of the 18 games he played this season.