Emerging young ruckman Ivan Soldo shapes as a major weapon in Richmond VFL team’s quest for this year’s premiership.

The VFL Tigers kick off their 2018 September campaign with a big qualifying final match against Williamstown under the lights at the Swinburne Centre, Punt Road Oval on Saturday night, and their coach Craig McRae believes the 204cm, 106kg, 22-year-old can play a key role in helping them go one step further than they did last year, when they finished runners-up.

“Shaun Hampson’s been on the list, and then Ivan Maric last year, so Soldo was always the third wheel,” McRae said.

“It was difficult to get enough match time for him . . . he was sort of deprived of opportunity.

“This year, he’s been pretty much the go-to guy, at VFL level in particular.

“He’s playing 80-90 percent in the ruck and he looks like a big, strong man now.

“He’s four years in the system and he’s been so important to us.

We haven’t played with him in the team against Williamstown this year (because of a toe infection and then concussion), so I’m looking forward to having him in our team.”