In summation...
Back in June, reporter Sarah Olle of Fox Sports online wrote of the correlation between Dane Rampe's return following his seven-week stint with a broken arm and the sudden spike in the performance of the Sydney Swans' backline.
She labelled Rampe the 'absorption king' with his ability to help setup behind the footy, quell opposition attacks and smother his, often much bigger, opponents.
We can't help but agree with this assessment.
Rampe was a huge loss in the early stages of the season and was one of the key reasons behind the resurgence, the 27-year-old averaging nearly 17 disposals at his defensive post as well as six marks and four rebounds.
Working in tandem with his fellow leaders in Heath Grundy and Nick Smith, the first-year vice-captain was critical within a unit that got back to their stingiest best, topping the league for points against during the home and away season, all the while welcoming in a couple of stayers in Lewis Melican and Nic Newman.
His leadership and competitiveness will again be a vital asset for the Sydney Swans in season 2018.
What the numbers say...
Games: 17
Kicks: 165
H’balls: 117
Disposals: 282
Clearances: 4
Marks: 99
Tackles: 32
Inside 50s: 19
Rebound 50s: 70
AFL Fantasy: 1,002 (66.8 average)
Supercoach: 1,166 (77.7 average)
Best performance...
Round 16 v Gold Coast at the SCG
Rampe's direct opponent had three goals in the opening quarter of the Round 16 clash with the Suns at the SCG, but then was quiet thereafter as Rampe fought his way back to dominate with his best game of the year. He was at his absolute defensive best, chopping off everything that came his way to amass 13 marks and 25 disposals.
What they said...
"Of all the injuries the Swans have endured this season, the one to Dane Rampe was arguably the most significant. When Rampe returned from a broken arm last week against St Kilda, the Swans were back to their absorbent best, with the Saints only scoring 38.3 per cent of the time they went inside 50. Given the Saints were the best team at scoring once inside their forward 50 prior to this match, the return of Rampe cannot be understated. The absorption king was back."
- Fox Sports Sarah Olle wrote back in May.
In pictures...
This was what Rampe's training consisted of for most of his seven weeks on the sidelines.
Good to be back, skip!
A crowd favourite among the red and white faithful.
