As challenging as it’s going to be for Richmond to fill the huge void created by the absence of injured champion key defender Alex Rance, AFL great Nick Riewoldt believes there’s another Tiger who’s more irreplaceable – and it’s not his cousin Jack, Dustin Martin or Trent Cotchin.

In Riewoldt’s opinion, it’s Rance’s backline comrade, Dylan Grimes, who tops Tigerland’s irreplaceable list.

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Riewoldt paid a glowing tribute to Grimes in an article he wrote for the ‘Fox Footy’ website on the competition’s 12 most irreplaceable players.

“He is one of the best lockdown defenders in the competition,” Riewoldt said.

“To be able to put him on a player and take them out of a contest is so important for them.

“We know Alex Rance can do that, but his great strength is his intercepting — same with Nathan Broad, same with David Astbury.

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“Grimes is really the one that I feel like they can just turn to do a job and he will just get it done.

“I don’t think they have another player capable of doing that as well as Grimes can do it.

“He would be one of the first magnets up every week because he is just so reliable in that space.”