Alex Rance sensationally retired in December out of the blue.
There has been plenty of speculation around a possible return of the premiership star who was recovering from an ACL injury at the time of his announcement.
Rance has said that if he was to make a shock return he would throw himself in 100 per cent and that's the reason he is content with his life away from the game.
Rance still has a place on the Richmond list so the ball is seemingly in his court regarding a comeback.
The 30-year-old spoke about what a return to footy would look like.
โI love the game and I love what I have contributed and I am not going to completely rule out the fact that I could come back,โ he told RRR radio on Monday
"But at this stage Iโm really happy with the life balance that I have.
โIโm proud of the effort I put in there to achieve what we did. Itโs a constant thing. Itโs almost like, and this is bad analogy but I am going to use it anyway, itโs like being an alcoholic and constantly working in Dan Murphyโs."
Rance spoke about the fact that he left the game he loves to try and strike a better life balance and said that a return may impact that.
โI know that if I go back to playing for Richmond I am going to love it so much that itโs going to consume my life and my balance is going to go out again. Iโm happy where Iโm at.โ
Rance said that his time rehabbing his knee away from the group allowed him to have some self-reflection and he realized he was failing to maintain friendships outside of footy.
Conceding he had fallen down in that area of life Rance said he has already learned so much about who he is in his short time away from the club.
โYou never really know completely who you are. Lifeโs a journey and you experience new things, new people come into your life, old people go out of your life and different things happen to you,
"I feel like I do have a lot more clarity. Iโve got a lot more time because football, itโs very selfish and you need to be very consumed in it. It needs to take over your life because itโs so competitive and every kid wants to do it.
โNow that I have the time to reflect and spend on other areas of my life, like my family, my faith and fitness and other things like that, itโs given me a bigger opportunity to balance that all out.โ
Rance's comments sparked speculation that his return to AFL was inevitable.
However, speaking on Nova breakfast program Chrissie, Sam & Browny on Tuesday morning, the five-time All Australian was quick to pour cold water on the idea.
โDo you know whatโs really funny about statements? Context,โ Rance told Nova.
โThe context of it was that I love football, I love the guys that are there, I love the Richmond Football Club for giving me everything theyโve done over the last 12 years.
โBut my lifeโs good, Iโm happy where Iโm at, Iโm good to head off into the sunset.โ
Rance played 200 games for Richmond and was a part of the 2017 premiership team
