Richmond’s giant Category B rookie Mate Colina will embark on his AFL career at Tigerland in 2022.
Colina is in the process of completing his basketball stint with the University of Hawaii and he’ll then return to Australia.
The Club’s national recruiting manager Matt Clarke provided an update on Colina on the latest episode of the Talking Tigers podcast . . .
“He’s shooting some points over in Hawaii. He’s been in good form the last few weeks, that’s for sure . . . He’ll be finished up early next year with them and then he’ll arrive back here as a full-time Richmond athlete,” Clarke said.
“We’re really excited for the big fella to come back . . .
“He’s looking fit and strong.
“He’s always loved his basketball, but the culture and the people that we’ve got here has attracted him to come to us.
“He spent a bit of time with us in Sydney this year while we were in the hub and did some work up there.
“I think he’s got massive upside.”
Colina, a cousin of the Tigers’ 2020 premiership player and rising star Noah Balta, currently is the tallest player on an AFL club list, at 213 cm.
He played junior football alongside Balta at Essendon Doutta Stars and Calder Cannons.
