Former Richmond champion key forward Matthew Richardson has outlined why he rates Alex Rance so highly, in the lead-up to the star key defender reaching the 150-game milestone for the Tigers against Sydney at the SCG on Saturday.

Speaking on this week’s edition of the Club’s official podcast, ‘Talking Tigers’, Richardson was lavish in his praise of Rance.

“His attributes are, first and foremost, his desperation, his willingness to compete.  I think that’s the biggest thing,” Richardson said.

“If every player brought that to the table, then you’re going to win most games. 

“So he brings that every week, (along with) his athleticism, his ability to read the play, intercept, and win one-on-one contests.  

“Some defenders just want to defend, but ‘Rancey’ defends, and he wins the ball back.  He wins it back in the air, he’s great at ground level. 

“He truly doesn’t have many faults at all as a defender at the moment. 

“And, he isn’t quite as big as some of the guys he plays on. 

“Some of these forwards now are 200cm . . . he’s 194cm.  So he’s giving away a bit of height, but he just rarely lets his opponent take a mark on him. 

“He’s a great spoiler, and just a superstar.”