AFL legend Alex Rance announces his VERY surprising next move – after mysteriously quitting at the top of his game and splitting from his wife
- Richmond Tigers star Alex Rance is trekking Nepal after retiring from AFL
- Rance shocked fans after quitting AFL and splitting with his wife in December
- The 30-year-old will be heading to the Himalayan mountains as part of a tour
AFL Legend Alex Rance will be heading deep into the mountains after hanging up his footy boots and splitting from his long-time partner.
The retired Richmond Tigers player, 30, is planning an overseas expedition as part of an organised trek through the Himalayan mountains in Nepal in November.
The tree change comes after the player’s decision to quit AFL at the top of his game and split from his wife of eight years Georgia.
Rance announced his plans on Instagram on Saturday, giving fans a chance to join him on his latest venture.
‘I have a pretty amazing adventure planned for Nepal in November. If you’re an adventurer and keen to challenge yourself and help other(s) achieve, I’d love you to join me. Spots are limited tho,’ he wrote.
AFL Legend Alex Rance will be heading deep into the mountains after hanging up his footy boots and splitting from his long-time partner
The trip is part of an organised tour by ‘Health and Fitness Holidays and Kokoda Courage’ and will follow the famous Annapurna circuit in the Himalayan mountain ranges.
The Richmond star isn’t the only celebrity to lead a trek through the mountains, with Dayne Beams planning the same journey in October.
The devout Jehovah’s Witness has shocked supporters with a series of bombshells in the past three months.
In December Rance announced his split with wife Georgia and his retirement from his AFL career.
Since the announcement, Rance confirmed he was planning to focus on his specialty AFL school – The Academy, a full-time elite AFL passion school which guides disengaged young adults.
The tour will travel through the Himalayan Mountain ranges
Recently-retired Richmond Tigers star Alex Rance will focus on a specialty AFL school after the breakdown of his marriage with Georgia (pictured) and quitting the game
The Academy, which has a campus in Essendon and is in the process of opening another in the Geelong suburb of Hamlyn Heights, allows students to graduate with Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) qualifications.
Luke Surace, the other co-founder, said on Tuesday Rance would work with The Academy ‘in a full-time capacity’, Geelong Advertiser reported.
‘Alex is excited to combine his two passions, AFL and education, in a more full-time capacity,’ Mr Surace said.
The Geelong program will start on February 3, with 18 of the 25 year 11 spots already filled.
‘We are happy with this number for our first year,’ Mr Surace said.
The 2021 waitlist for the Essendon campus is almost at capacity, he added.
Rance, a devout Jehova’s Witness, announced his shock split from wife Georgia in December 2019, the same month he revealed he would retire from AFL
In a statement on Richmond’s website on December 19, Rance – a five-time All Australian – said he felt it was the right time to ‘put energy into other areas of his life’ including religion.
‘I am someone who will always give their best to what they commit to, and I’m proud of the time, energy and dedication that I’ve put towards my football career,’ he said.
‘Right now, I feel I have served my purpose in terms of my on-field performance and cultural impact, and I’m so grateful to the football club for their support and care in allowing me to do that in my own unique way.
‘Now I feel is the right time for me to put the same time and energy into other areas of my life that need it, and to prioritise the more important things to me, such as my spiritual growth, my family and friends.’
Rance played 200 games for the Tigers, after being taken with the 18th pick in the 2007 AFL Draft.
He won Richmond’s best and fairest in 2015 and was a crucial part of their drought breaking 2017 Grand Final win – the Tigers’ first premiership in 37 years.