Rebounding Richmond backman Bachar Houli has paid tribute to fellow Tiger defender Alex Rance for the vast improvement he has shown over the past couple of years.

Rance had a breakout 2014 season, winning All-Australian selection for the first time, and has carried his fine form into the opening rounds this year, combining strong defence with attacking flair.

“I was speaking to (teammates) David Astbury and Dylan Grimes a couple of weeks ago, about what he’s done . . . the steps he’s taken forward to become such an elite player of the competition,” Houli said on Channel Seven’s ‘Game Day’

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“He’s a player that will be first on the track and last off the track.  That just goes to show that he’s willing to keep improving. 

“And (at training) he continues to do the things that he’s good at . . . the marking third in, and he’ll even go and outbody the ruckman, and comfortably beat our ruckman one-on-one. 

“He’ll continue to put himself amongst the best, just so he can keep improving individually . . .”