Richmond defender Alex Rance says he considered walking away from AFL football before deciding that continuing to play the sport wouldn’t adversely affect his wife, his family or his religious beliefs.

Rance ended months of speculation on Saturday when he signed a four-year deal that will keep him at Punt Road until the end of the 2019 season.

The 25-year-old is a devout Jehovah’s Witness and said that he seriously contemplated stepping away from the game for good, before deciding to pledge his future to Richmond.

The 2014 All-Australian also gave some thought to big-money offers from rival clubs before putting pen to paper on a new deal.