Star Richmond key defender Alex Rance has disclosed how the Tiger backs handled the intense pressure of Melbourne’s inside-50 bombardment during the first half of Monday night’s big Anzac Day Eve clash at the MCG.
The Demons had 39 inside-50s to Richmond’s 20 at half-time, but managed to convert just seven of those entries into goals, and they led by only six points.
“The best thing is just to try and keep it simple and try and keep the emotions out of it, because the easy thing to do is just throw your hands in the air and go, ‘Oh, whose bloke was this, whose bloke was that’?,” Rance told SEN.
“It takes a leader – a good leader – and I’m not perfect yet, but I’m trying to calm my nerves in those situations, and just get everyone calm, back to their best footy and weather the storm.”
At three-quarter time, with the Tigers staring down the barrel of a 20-point deficit, Rance revealed the advice he offered to his fellow defenders.
“I said to the boys, we’re doing a lot right, we’re probably just over-handballing just a touch . . . getting that second handball, which is putting us under the pump. Let’s just try and get it forward and get a bit of yardage. But it was mainly just stick to your strengths and fight it out,” Rance said.
“It just showed through that if we keep fighting, we’re going to get good results.”
Rance again was one of Richmond’s best, in the spirited 13-point win against the Demons, finishing with 11 disposals, including eight contested possessions, a team-high 11 interceptions, game-high four intercept marks, team-high six rebound-50s, team-high 13 one percenters, and four score involvements.
