THERE will be no miracle comeback for Richmond's Alex Rance this season, with the star defender ruled out for the rest of the year.

Rance tore the ACL in his right knee in the season-opener against Carlton.

But with the Tigers preparing to take part in their sixth finals series in seven years, he was desperate to make a shock return.

Rance has been well ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation and has returned to top-speed straight-line running, but it has been less than five months since he had surgery.

The Tigers currently sit fourth on the ladder, and take on the Blues, West Coast and Brisbane, all at the MCG, on the run home.

Dylan Grimes has been playing Rance's intercept role for much of the year, alongside David Astbury, Nathan Broad and Nick Vlastuin as the main defensive posts.

Rance remained upbeat despite hurting his knee against Carlton in round one. Picture: AFL Photos

In a video on the club website, Rance said he couldn't take the risk of re-injury, especially at such an important time of the season.

"My leg strength is really good and it's stronger than it was before. The range I have in my knee is probably 95 per cent and really, really close to being at full extension," Rance said.

"The speed and endurance work I've been doing, I feel comfortable with that I could play, and the weave and change of direction is something I need to work on a little bit, if I was to play. 

"The thing that I couldn't control – and no one really can – is the graft itself, and how well that knits within my knee. So that's one thing that's a real unknown and something the club and I had to think good and hard about whether we were going to take that risk or not.

"Some things that I wasn't willing to risk was the game-day emotional toll that a re-injury could have taken, and also the rotation. If I came back in a final and ruptured my knee, and that cost us the game, then I'd never be able to forgive myself."

Find AFL Exchange on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Rance said he would take a week's break from the club to reset.

"I'll come back and be the very best leader that I can possibly be," he said.