‘Roar Vision’ caught up with mature-age Richmond ruck recruit Toby Nankervis to discuss his transition to Tigerland from Sydney via the recent AFL trade period . . .
How he found out about the trade
“I was over in America in the off-season . . . I was in the Grand Canyon actually. The WiFi wasn’t great and I was on the phone to dad and could barely hear him . . . I was pretty happy when the trade went through.”
His playing strengths
“I think just (being) that competitive ruckman. I really pride myself on that follow-up, and second and third efforts. Hopefully I can expand my game and be able to cover the ground better, be more athletic, and go up forward and kick some goals as well.”
Late bloomer
“I didn’t play much junior footy . . . I focused more on cricket. It probably wasn’t until I was 18-19, when I started to take footy pretty seriously. I played at Georgetown, which is the local footy club . . . It’s a great little town and they really get around the whole team. Post that, I had two years at North Launceston, and really enjoyed my time there as well.”
Working with Richmond ruck pair Maric and Hampson
“I’m really looking forward to it. Ivan’s someone I’ve really looked up to for the last few years and a very well respected ruckman. And Shaun had a very good year last season.”
Midfield depth of talent
“It’s a pretty handy midfield, with (Dion) Prestia (and Josh Caddy) coming in as well, to join (Trent) Cotchin, (Anthony) Miles and Dustin Martin. There are some good players there.”
Playing in front of the Tiger Army
“It is exciting. I remember as a kid going to the ‘G’ and watching a few Tiges’ games . . . There’s nothing like the Tiger roar, I reckon . . . It’s something you can’t really describe.”
Exciting times at Tigerland
“You don’t really realise what’s new, but there’s a lot of change around the Club from what I’ve heard . . . Everyone’s really driving towards the common goal, which is exciting . . . I arrived here only a few days ago and you can already see that work ethic from the young guys . . . I’m really excited to be involved in that.”
