With a decade of AFL football experience, plying his trade against the competition’s best forwards, there’s no doubting Troy Chaplin’s qualifications when it comes to assessing the merits of key defenders.

So, when he declares his Richmond backline teammate Alex Rance as one of the best going around, in league football today, that pronouncement carries considerable credence.

“I think last year, for him (Rance), he took a really big step and got some notches under his belt in terms of playing on key forwards,” Chaplin said on SEN’s ‘Morning Glory’.

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“He kept ‘Buddy’ (Lance Franklin) to one goal and he played some fantastic footy towards the end of the season.

“He’d probably admit it took him a while to get going – the first four or five games – but, overall, I thought he was nearly All-Australian last year, and he didn’t even make the squad.”

Chaplin then outlined the attributes Rance possesses, that have helped him develop into such a valuable key defender at the game’s highest level . . .

“His ability to just get there and make a contest is a standout,” Chaplin said.

“He looks beaten at times, but ‘Rancey’ is one of the quickest, he’s one of the fittest, and one of the strongest at the Club.  You can see that and you know what you’re going to get from Alex Rance every week.

“He just gives you everything he’s got . . . he gets an arm in when you don’t think he’s going to.

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“Last year, he was in the top three or four (in the competition) for intercept marks or possession gains from the opposition.  So, he certainly turned the corner in that.

“He admits he has his moments here and there, but he’s really working on trying to add some composure to his game and I think he’s becoming one of the elite backs of the competition.”