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The Greater Tiger? Rance or Grimes
- Thread starter eZyT
- Start date
Rance for me.
I assume we are talking best player. Grimesy is superb, and can play tall or small, but Rance's intercept marking was second to none, suggesting a very good football brain that was exceptional at reading the play.
The ability to intercept mark, IMO, is the most essential skill in a taller defender. It is just so valuable to be able to win a football in defense and there is not better way to kill an opposition scoring chance than an intercept mark.
I think Rance was probably a better athlete as well. He was not as good as Grimes on the smaller forwards, but then, he was better equipped to handle the bigger forwards.
I assume we are talking best player. Grimesy is superb, and can play tall or small, but Rance's intercept marking was second to none, suggesting a very good football brain that was exceptional at reading the play.
The ability to intercept mark, IMO, is the most essential skill in a taller defender. It is just so valuable to be able to win a football in defense and there is not better way to kill an opposition scoring chance than an intercept mark.
I think Rance was probably a better athlete as well. He was not as good as Grimes on the smaller forwards, but then, he was better equipped to handle the bigger forwards.
Both great players but are different animals in style and play so I would have to give them equal billing for what they have given the club and our success. The smoky is Balta. He is still raw around the edges but learning fast so if his trajectory continues to rise then in a couple of seasons or so he will be better than both.
Love Rance, Grimes,but it's not even a competition,it's Rance by a couple of ovals,Rance was the league's best one on one defender in his last 3 seasons,stats wise the best in AFL plus was the only defender I've seen whom could leave his man after the kick and spoil the ball covering 2 players and patrolling the entire defensive 50,not a single coach in the AFL would choose grimsy over Rance.
I remember how Great Rance was playing in the years before the 17 premiership , when we werent that great ,
totally dominating down back , it was more of a one man show then , im not so sure Grimes as great as he is , could take that much on on his own
now the other defenders are all much better players in their own right and its a more even balanced team effort
totally dominating down back , it was more of a one man show then , im not so sure Grimes as great as he is , could take that much on on his own
now the other defenders are all much better players in their own right and its a more even balanced team effort
I think the discussion demonstrates that Rance's legacy sadly has been affected by 1. his injury in 2019 and 2. his early retirement.
He will still go down as one of the Tiger greats, but his potential to be one of the great defenders of all time has been unfulfilled.
A reasonable analogy is if Dusty retired today. What Dusty achieves over the next couple of years will ultimately determine where he sits in the all-time greats. Potentially he could be the greatest ever (another Brownlow and/or a couple of more dominant finals will put to rest any argument). But his career is only two-thirds written at this stage, despite his phenomenal achievements to date (what a privileged time to be a Tiger supporter).
He will still go down as one of the Tiger greats, but his potential to be one of the great defenders of all time has been unfulfilled.
A reasonable analogy is if Dusty retired today. What Dusty achieves over the next couple of years will ultimately determine where he sits in the all-time greats. Potentially he could be the greatest ever (another Brownlow and/or a couple of more dominant finals will put to rest any argument). But his career is only two-thirds written at this stage, despite his phenomenal achievements to date (what a privileged time to be a Tiger supporter).
Rance is the best key defender I've seen. He developed from a kamikaze player into one of the more composed players in the game. As has been pointed out he played on his own man and covered 2 or 3 others. His reading of the play and decision making was unsurpassed. He started arrogantly outmarking his opponents from the mid point of his career. He was an attacking player. Grimes is a different player, not a key defender nor a very attacking defender. To suggest he is in the same category as Rancelot is a real stretch. Rance was arguably the best player in the game in the latter years of his career.
Dusty is an all-time great already he doesn't need to do anything else IMO. And inarguably the greatest finals player ever.
As a richmond die-hard supporter, I don't disagree. But not the point/analogy I was making.
It’s obvious that many Richmond supporters feel let down and somewhat abandoned by Rancey’s early retirement. Totally understandable.
The feelings of emotional loss and hurt will eventually fade as it always does and history will then make it easier to draw the obvious conclusion.
Rance was a once in a generation player. A marquee player who transformed first himself and then the club through training standards and on field heroics.
Grimes is only exceptional. Underrated champion of our club. But there is only one Alex Rance.
Would Grimma be the player he is without having Rance by his side? IMO, they are/were as good as they are because of their pure desperation to beat their opposition. Noah has it too!
Rance played his worse game when it really counted.
Grimes for me easily. Played on talls and smalls and made them look silly.
Anyone who could mark the ball in the air smashed Rance.
Hogan, Cloke, Jenkins, Walker, Cox, Waite and Degoey all loved playing on Rance.
Grimes for me easily. Played on talls and smalls and made them look silly.
Anyone who could mark the ball in the air smashed Rance.
Hogan, Cloke, Jenkins, Walker, Cox, Waite and Degoey all loved playing on Rance.
Deep Though has done its deep thinking. Grimes is still a Tiger. Rance is now a Swan (?). Is an ex Tiger always a Tiger? Would you consider Maxfield a Tiger? Otterns? Brando? Sheedy? There’s a cut off there somewhere, which is an argument for another day. So, purely on semantics, it has to be Grimes as he is still a Tiger, unquestionably.
Grimes has proven it tho without Rance that's the difference.Grimes and co use to let Rance run off his man.
Im enjoying the peaceful array of perspectives on this thread.
Like a few pointed out, rance baked the fluffiest, tastiest football sponge ever, in conjunction with grimes and dave (and more). He was certainly head chef
But Then left, and grimesy slathered 2 thick layers of passionfruit icing on the footy sponge.
I agree theres some degree of bitterness at rances sudden departure and some recency bias, but that stuff is real in grading greatness.
I reckon its an interesting debate and the voting is reflecting that.
I expect dylan will end up with 5 times as many flags as Alex and it still puzzles me why
Like a few pointed out, rance baked the fluffiest, tastiest football sponge ever, in conjunction with grimes and dave (and more). He was certainly head chef
But Then left, and grimesy slathered 2 thick layers of passionfruit icing on the footy sponge.
I agree theres some degree of bitterness at rances sudden departure and some recency bias, but that stuff is real in grading greatness.
I reckon its an interesting debate and the voting is reflecting that.
I expect dylan will end up with 5 times as many flags as Alex and it still puzzles me why
