Outstanding Richmond key defender Alex Rance has capped another superb season by being appointed captain of the 2017 All Australian team.
It’s the fourth year in-a-row that Rance has received an All Australian blazer, and the captaincy honour is reward for his impressively high level of performance throughout this time.
Rance was named at full-back in this year’s All Australian line-up.
Brilliant midfielder Dustin Martin is the other Tigers player to gain 2017 All Australian selection.
Martin, the hot Brownlow Medal favourite, has been named in the prestigious line-up for a second successive year. He takes his place in the centre.
The All-Australian selection panel, comprising Gillon McLachlan (chairman), Kevin Bartlett, Luke Darcy, Andrew Dillon, Danny Frawley, Glen Jakovich, Chris Johnson, Cameron Ling, Matthew Richardson and Warren Tredrea, announced the team’s make-up at a gala function at the Palais Theatre in Melbourne this evening.
Rance, who played all 22 home-and-away games this season, averaged 16.2 disposals, 6.5 contested possessions, 5.0 marks and 3.8 rebound-50s per match.
He had 20 disposals or more four times, with a season-high 21 touches against Sydney in Round 13 at the MCG.
Competition-wide, he was ranked No.1 for intercepts (206), No. 1 for one-percenters (210), and No. 14 for rebound-50s (83).
Martin averaged 30.3 disposals, 14.2 contested possessions, 6.6 clearances, 6.2 inside-50s and 4.4 marks per match in his 22 home-and-away games, and also kicked 32 goals.
He had 30 disposals or more 14 times, with a season-high 40 touches v West Coast in Round 3 at the MCG, and also against Brisbane at Etihad Stadium in Round 17.
Across the competition, he was ranked No. 1 for inside-50s (137), No. 1 for centre clearances (79), No. 1 for turnovers (144), No. 2 for score involvements (191), No. 3 for disposals (667), No. 3 for metres gained (11,039), No. 4 for contested possessions (313) and No. 5 for goal assists (21).