Rance had surgery on Sunday after one of the most sickening clashes in recent football history, with coach Terry Wallace comparing it to a car crash.
Rance's cheekbone was broken in three places when he and Brisbane Lion Troy Selwood collided head-on while contesting a loose ball on the members' wing at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.
With both players coming at the ball from opposite directions and at full speed, the crack as their heads hit could be heard around the ground.
Both players lay dazed on the turf as the game was halted for four minutes before Rance was taken to the Richmond rooms on the medicart. Selwood was assisted to the bench, just metres away.
Rance was taken directly to Epworth hospital while Selwood was unable to return to the field, although he did not suffer concussion according to the club.
The fracture to Rance's skull was confirmed on Sunday morning and the Tigers' young-gun is expected to be out of action for up to six weeks.
The incident brought back memories of James Hird smashing his face on Mark McVeigh's knee at Subiaco Oval in May 2002, and coach Terry Wallace compared it to the 2005 round five head clash between Tigers defender Chris Hyde and Saint Matt Maguire, which left Hyde with a 2cm crack in his skull.
"It was horrific – I was involved when Chris Hyde fractured his skull, and that was one of those car crash-type scenarios," Wallace said after the game on Saturday.
"Two blokes absolutely equally committed to the contest, and people who say that our game's not tough … it astounds me at times.
"You've got to be down at ground level to see how hard they hit.
"It was a fair-dinkum car crash."
