Star Richmond key defender Alex Rance has commended Tigers premiership coach Damien Hardwick for giving greater autonomy to his group of assistant coaches this year.

Rance believes that was an important factor in Richmond’s rapid rise to achieve the game’s ultimate success in season 2017.

“He’s always been a super coach,” Rance said on SEN.

“Being a senior coach is different to being an assistant in so many ways.

“You need to hold your temperament, be able to delegate, allow individual other coaches to flourish.

‘And I think that was probably the greatest difference with ‘Dimma’ this year – to allow other coaches to put their flavour on things.

“It’s still under the Damien Hardwick brand, but it’s allowing them to flourish and be themselves as well.”