Comeback: Alex Rance to suit up for Seymour in Goulburn Valley League

By Max Stainkamph

May 21, 2021

If you thought Seymour was a tough nut to crack during their unbeaten opening six games, just wait until the Lions add a former All-Australian captain and premiership-winning full back to their squad.

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Former Richmond champion Alex Rance will pull on the boots for the first time in two years next Saturday for the Lions, playing his first game since round one, 2019.

Rance has been working with former coach Ben Clifton since his shock retirement from the AFL, and current Seymour coach Ben Davey confirmed the superstar full-back would line up against Mooroopna in round eight.

"There's a strong connection with Ben (Clifton), it's been bubbling away for a little while now and was always going to happen when Alex felt like playing again," Davey said.

"We'll take it as it comes, he'll start training this week and if he feels like playing for the whole season I'm sure we'll find a way to fit him in."

He said he was stoked to have a player of Rance's calibre coming into the Lions' squad.

"Everyone knows how good he is, you'd need to be living under a rock to not know how good a player he is," Davey said.

"We're just rapt to have him coming along ... we've got a very young list and a lot of these guys would have grown up watching him so he'll be good to help them out a bit."

Rance retired from AFL football in 2019 after missing the season with an ACL injury, saying he wanted to spend more time with family and friends and growing spiritually, and despite repeated rumours of a comeback at AFL level the 31-year-old hasn't pulled on the boots since his final game.

Rance won Richmond's best and fairest in 2015 and was runner-up in 2016 and 2017, and was All-Australian five times.

Davey said the addition of Rance will help overcome the loss of co-captain Kyle Winter-Irving, who broke his leg late in the side's last match against Benalla.

"He's definitely out for the season which is a tough blow, one of the key reasons we've been doing so well is because of him," Davey said.

"Outside of footy he's such a strong leader and helps keep the boys together."

Seymour's next game is at home at Kings Park against Mooroopna on May 29.