Richmond player development and ruck coach Ivan Maric provides ‘Roar Vision’ with an insight into the development of talented, young Tiger ‘tall’ Mabior Chol.
His pre-season
“I saw him come to the pre-season with a really good attitude and wanting to get better. Some of the things we’ve been focusing on are his marking, his ruckwork and goalkicking. And he’s doing all that with great attitude and aggression.”
Improving his marking
“There’s the part that everyone sees and they’re the big marks, which are good and important. You need to take them because it helps you kick goals. But also about not getting outmarked. Jack Riewoldt’s probably the standout at the Richmond Football Club for doing that. So Mabior’s been working really hard on being the competitive beast and not getting outmarked.”
Improving his ruckwork
“Like I said with his marking, it’s similar in the ruck. He’s got to be really aggressive and competitive and have that never-give-up attitude. And that’s what he’s really improved on. You saw the great opportunity he got in JLT 1 (pre-season game) against Essendon. Toby Nankervis got knocked out, so he had to ruck the whole game, and he showed everyone at the footy club that he’s got it . . . he can do it and we can trust him . . .”
Impressive skill set
“He’s got that ability to kick goals, which is really important . . . And when he’s got the ball, he can actually take on some smaller guys. He’s got amazing athleticism. And he can actually jump into the opposition ruck, and also jump over them. So he’s got some skills.”
His strong aerial work v Port Melbourne in VFL opening round
“Loved that about his game. I think the first three clearances of the game went towards him, and he didn’t let the opposition mark it. And then Shai Bolton and Tyson Stengle do their fancy work and kick the goals. That’s really important . . . It’s hard to defend a guy that can move like that and jump like that . . . His timing’s looking really good at the moment. It’s exciting. And it’s really important to be able to go back and finish your good work, which he did.”
