Leading AFL reporter Tom Browne provided an update on recently retired Richmond defender Alex Rance this morning.

Browne told The Hot Breakfast that Richmond aren't giving up hope on Rance returning to Punt Road at some stage this season.

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"My whisper yesterday is that Richmond remain very, very cautiously optimistic, or at least a chance, that Alex Rance could at some stage during the season change his mind," Browne said.

"That's partly why they have left him on the list".

The 30 year-old hung up the boots out of the blue in December after 200 games.