Maybe it’s the Christmas break, but the lack of public support from the team mates of recently retired AFL champion Alex Rance has not gone unnoticed.
For a bunch of AFL heroes not shy of social media, the departure of one of The Tigers’ greatest sons has passed practically without mention from within.
Alex Rance’s retirement could not have come at a better time if he was the kind of bloke to shun the spotlight.
But history would suggest otherwise.
Rance will arguably go down as the most decorated defender of his generation and has proven he’s media-savvy – engaging in some playful banter with reporter Tom Steinfort to promote his children’s book earlier this year.
Jack Riewoldt (L) walks off in tears with Alex Rance during the round 16 AFL match between the St Kilda Saints and the Richmond Tigers in 2015. Rance said the pair were like brothers before his sudden retirement
Alex Rance and Georgia Rance in happier times last year. She split with the Tiger champion just days after he announced his retirement
Footy fans were hanging up their Christmas stockings when Rance announced his retirement on December 19.
From the ‘radio silence’ displayed by his former teammates on social media and mainstream media, you could be forgiven for thinking they may have missed the news too.
Rance had missed most of the 2019 season after rupturing his ACL in round 1 and was forced to watch on from the sidelines as the Tigers claimed a premiership.
Sources have told Daily Mail Australia his knee was match fit when he pulled the pin.
Just two days before his announcement, teammate Dylan Grimes told afl.com.au Rance was in great shape.
‘He’s been building now for 12 months for the season to start, so I think he’s going to be in terrific condition. Seeing him move around the track, he’s moving better than he was before the knee, it seems to me,’ Grimes said.
Rance issued a statement stating he had opted to step away from the game and turn his attention to his family and faith.
‘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,’ the statement read.
The decision has puzzled fans, with online threads working overtime with thoughts and theories.
Fuel was thrown on the fire last week when news broke that Rance’s wife Georgia had split with him just days after his announcement.
The devout Jehovah’s Witnesses had married in 2012.
Online forums went into meltdown, forcing the partner of Tigers midfielder Jack Higgins to publicly deny a series of ‘putrid’ allegations which surfaced online.
A thread on BigFooty discussing the issue on Monday was removed amid threats of legal action.
Tenisha Crook didn’t address the nature of the rumours, but said she was horrified that people could make such claims.
‘Absolutely disgusting that it has gotten to the point where I have needed to respond to this slander and defamation,’ she wrote on her Instagram story.
‘I am horrified at the amount of (all male) putrid messages received in mine and Jack’s Facebook and Instagram dms.
Tenisha Crook chose not to disclose what the allegations were, but vehemently denied they were true
Crook has been forced to deny rumours relating to her relationship with Higgins on Instagram
While there have been numerous online rumours as to the supposed ‘real reason’ Rance quit the Tigers, so far nothing posted has had any basis whatsoever.
While the online detectives continue to dig into the saga, some keen observers have noted none of Rance’s past teammates have given him a call out on social media.
Pictured: Tenisha Crook (left) and her boyfriend Jack Higgins
Not a digital back slap in sight.
If you Google Rance’s name you’ll struggle to find a team mate quoted anywhere giving the man a tick.
A Richmond spokesperson refused to comment when questioned by Daily Mail Australia on Monday.
Tiger insiders are themselves putrid over the Crook rumours. They say they have no legs at all.
Crook said she understands her boyfriend’s career means she is often thrust into the spotlight, but hoped fans would be more accommodating to their need for privacy.
‘Football fans need to learn to respect the privacy of players and their families/wives and girlfriends (especially in the off-season).
‘Yes, there is a spotlight put on players and their partners. However, there is absolutely no right to abuse, stalk us and make up rumoured stories.’
She went on to say both she and Higgins remain happy in their relationship.
The allegations come after a tough 2019 for Higgins, who was sidelined with a brain bleed back in July.
Higgins required surgery for a brain bleed which was first noticed back in July, 2019
Jack and Carly Reiwoldt with their baby Poppy. Reiwoldt had previously publicly supported Alex Rance
He was involved in a car accident while travelling in an Uber in November but walked away unscathed.
Tiger hero Jack Reiwoldt was pictured hugging Rance in an article written in Melbourne’s The Age in June.
The article stated the pair were ‘almost as close as brothers’.
‘We live near each other now in Brighton, and it’s almost like a brotherly relationship,’ Rance said at the time.
‘I borrow his lawnmower, he drops over his whipper snipper, I come to see his little daughter Poppy. We carpool all the time, and those are some of the best moments. You can solve all the problems of the world in a car trip.’
Reiwoldt doesn’t appear to have left the country.
His wife Carly posted pictures and video of their happy family enjoying Christmas together at home just days ago.
But like his team mates, Reiwoldt remains silent.
A tigers fan on the club’s own website perhaps summed it up best a day after Rance made his sudden departure.
‘I reckon the playing group would be as flat as the supporters are,’ he wrote. ‘It’s noticeable there haven’t been any social media posts from players yet. It’s a sad way for such a champ to finish.’