Selfless Richmond duo Alex Rance and Jack Graham have tied for the Club’s prestigious Francis Bourke Award.
The pair were presented with their awards at Tuesday night’s 2019 Jack Dyer Medal function.
The Francis Bourke Award, named in honour of Richmond’s five-time premiership hero and Club ‘Immortal’, is determined by the Tigers’ current-day playing group.
Each week throughout the season, the playing group cast votes on a 3-2-1 basis for the players that best uphold their trademarks values.
Despite being sidelined for last Saturday’s Grand Final victory, Rance and Graham both played huge roles in the Tigers’ premiership campaign.
When Rance suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opening round, he took it in his stride.
The veteran defender had a huge influence on the development of Richmond’s playing group throughout 2019, in particular the Tigers’ backmen.
Rance, who has now won the Francis Bourke Award six times, put the Club first when he decided not to pursue a return to playing football in 2019.
Many Tigers have credited Rance in assisting them through rehabilitation in 2019, and he also took on a coaching role in the VFL.
Tough midfielder Graham was devastatingly ruled out of the 2019 Grand Final after dislocating his shoulder in Richmond’s preliminary final win over Geelong.
A true team-orientated Tiger, Graham showed immense courage as he played out the game against the Cats.
He was an enormous contributor in that win and throughout the 2019 season.
Here are the other 2019 Jack Dyer Medal night award winners…
Bill Cosgrove-Harry Jenkins Best First Year Player Award – Sydney Stack
Stack, 19, who was recruited via the AFL’s pre-season supplemental selection period, produced a standout maiden season as a Tiger.
The versatile teenager had 17 home and away outings this year, averaging 17.2 disposals, 4.9 marks and three tackles per game.
Stack finished third in the 2019 NAB Rising Star award and was also named as a backman in the AFLPA 22Under22 team.
Guinane Medal (VFL Best and Fairest Award) – Daniel Coffield
Coffield, a now premiership-winning backman, continued to be a stalwart of Richmond’s VFL program in 2019.
The intercept defender, 23, who is a member of the VFL Tigers' leadership group, was this year selected in the back pocket in the VFL Team of the Year.
VFLW Best and Fairest Award – Monique Conti
Conti had an instant impact upon arrival at Tigerland in April.
The midfielder finished runners up in the 2019 Lambert-Pearce Medal for the VFLW’s Best and Fairest player, polling a remarkable 16 votes from just seven games.
Across her seven appearances in the Yellow and Black, the talented teenager averaged 22 disposals, 15 contested possessions, seven clearances and five tackles per game.
VWFL Best and Fairest Award - Chris Henderson
Henderson was the Robert Rose Medalist for best on ground in Richmond VWFL's first ever premiership victory.
He scored five goals in that Grand Final win and was a impressive performer throughout the season.
Michael Roach (leading goalkicker award) – Tom Lynch
David Mandie Community Award – Bachar Houli
