Both have dominated their positions for approximately 800 of those minutes (80% of game time), to the point where a team that is 8-2 (80% win/loss ratio) and in second place with a very healthy percentage would be probably 4-6 at best without them both. I go to most Richmond games and see their influence from the broader perspective of the grandstand, rather than the narrow view of TV or Champion Data etc. Rance in particular is immense, and controls games. Yes, he very occasionally gets beaten in a contest - Darling was incredible all game and Jenkins had a purple patch which got him a handful of goals at the Adelaide Oval, before Rance fought back in the second half. But he's our best decision maker and we're a mile from a flag without him. We could probably cover Cotching if we needed too, but no more than the Cats could cover JSelwood or the Crows Sloane.
Here's another way to look at it which provides key support to the above - nobody can find a reason for why a team that contains so many footballers who are simply not rated by the media or opposition fans can first win the grand final and then shake off a predicted hangover by going 8-2, beating form teams Melbourne, Collingwood, Hawthorn (at the time) and North in the process.
stand by what I wrote - Martin's been average by his own standards, Nank is a warrior but not in the NicNat/Gawn/Grundy league, Caddy's done the odd cameo and Riewoldt is a mile off the Coleman. So then, if Broad, Short, McIntosh, Graham, Grimes, Costagna, Butler, Ellisx2, Vlastuin, Lloyd, Townsend, Higgins, Conca, Grigg, Houli, Menadue, Moore, Edwards etc (that's about three-quarters of our team from the last 10 weeks, with Prestia and Rioli out too) are all struggling to find their way most people's into the top 150 AFL footballers, then surely there's some true excellence happening in that team somewhere to correct the shortfall. And it's the form of Cotchin and Rance.