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Richmond premiership star Alex Rance has joined the Essendon coaching staff in a development role

 NCA NewsWire
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Retired Richmond premiership hero Alex Rance has decided to join Essendon, but not as a player.

After filling in for the Bombers’ VFL side during 2021, Rance has been given a position as part-time development coach, which he said was the “start of my journey” as an AFL coach.

The five-time All-Australian will work closely with current development coaches Leigh Tudor and Cam Roberts to develop the club’s emerging crop of key-position players.

Rance, 31, recently donned the Essendon jumper for the VFL Bombers in a one-off appearance against Southport in the club’s final state league game of the year.

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He impressed club officials with his “strong leadership, communication and football knowledge” and the club was moved to make him an official part of its future.

“I’m really excited to join the Bombers as a development coach for next season,” Rance said.

“I couldn’t think of a better place to start my journey as a coach in the AFL. Having familiar faces in ‘Truck’ (Ben Rutten) and ‘Cara’ (Blake Caracella) around to work with was really appealing to me.

“I really enjoyed my experience with the VFL Bombers up in Queensland earlier this year, and I loved helping those young players grow and learn, which will be a big part of my role here.

“I can’t wait to get started and help the club towards success.”

Rance retired from the AFL in 2019 following an illustrious 200-game career with Richmond, which included playing in the 2017 premiership.

He formed a strong bond with Essendon coach Ben Rutten, who was the Richmond defence coach, and Blake Caracella, who is now an assistant coach at Essendon.

Essendon general manager of football Josh Mahoney said Rance’s appointment was a big acquisition for the club.

“We’re thrilled to add Alex to our coaching group for the 2022 season,” Mahoney said.

“We have a young developing group. Alex will bring leadership and a high-performance mindset to the entire squad, as well as focusing on developing the fundamentals of our key-position players.

“We look forward to Alex’s contribution to the club in helping develop our players who are looking for continual improvement.”

Originally published as Richmond premiership star Alex Rance has joined the Essendon coaching staff in a development role

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