Richmond development coach Xavier Clarke assesses the development of the Tigers’ promising, young ruckman Ivan Soldo in this week’s ‘Coaches’ Corner’.
From Category B rookie to Richmond’s senior side
“He’s done a hell of a lot of work over the time he’s been here . . . Guys used to joke that he could barely hit his foot with the footy when he first got here, kicking. So he learned his kicking, and he’s actually a very good kick of the footy now. His skills are really good for a big guy . . . He’s really started now to step up and take his opportunity within games. We saw on the weekend (against Gold Coast) that he could be a really good ruckman for this club for a long time.”
Big strides through pre-season
“He got his appendix taken out just after Christmas, which slowed him up a little bit. But it didn’t take him long to pick up the pace again, and he played the first pre-season game against Collingwood. He showed a little bit there and has continued to improve since then.”
Defensive strength
“His tackling pressure’s fantastic. On the weekend (v the Suns), he had some really good one-on-one contests when the ball hit the ground with his tackle pressure, which was great.”
The next step
“We’d like to see him go forward, take some contested marks, and kick a couple of goals . . . If a ruckman can push forward and kick a couple of goals, then they’re worth their weight in gold.”
Rising to the challenge v big Sun Witts
“It was one of the things we had to look at going into the game (last Saturday night v Gold Coast). (Jarrod) Witts is a very good player, he’s in good form, and he’s pretty tall. With Soldo, we thought he could minimise Witts’ impact in the ruck if he could get on top of him and get some hit-outs of his own, which he did really well. I thought he played a really good game . . . It was a big stepping stone for Soldo.”
Popular character at Tigerland
“The guys love having him around. He’s got that balance between being really competitive for us and really likeable around the footy club . . . It’s great to see him get some reward.”
Family assistance
“Full credit to his cousin Ivan, who’s been doing a mountain of work with him out on the track . . . He’s worked really closely with him and been a big part of the way that he’s playing at the moment.”
Upcoming challenge v ‘Big Boy’ McEvoy
“McEvoy has played in a few premierships now with Hawthorn and is a very good player . . . He’s a very good runner, too, offensively. So it will be another good challenge for Soldo, and I’ve got no doubt he’ll be up for it.”
In summary
"Once he continues to get confidence, learn his craft, and knows what he can do really well, he’ll become a really good ruckman for this footy club.”
