Richmond champion Alex Rance says he won’t be making an AFL return despite playing for Essendon in the VFL on Sunday.
Rance made an appearance for the Bombers in the state-league competition as a fill-in player against Southport, impressing in a strong performance down back.
While he still looks up to playing competitive football, the former Tigers star is not seeking a sensational AFL return after taking to Instagram to confirm his appearance was a ‘one time thing’.
“This is not a comeback,” the post read.
“Playing for the Essendon VFL this weekend was simply a happy accident and a 1 time thing.
“I was visiting my family on the Gold Coast and with COVID restrictions the VFL needed some fill ins.
“I will always be passionate about developing young athletes and it was a great opportunity to play with an alumni from The Academy Josh Eyre and our high performance manager and Essendon VFL high performance manager Jake Giannakis.
“I love the life balance I have now, with my priorities shifting and professional football not dominating my life.
“Thanks for the fun day Essendon.”
Rance retired from football in 2019 after 200 games with Richmond having won the 2017 premiership and five All-Australian blazers.