You are currently logged in to Club Exclusive access
Flying Soldo: Injury creates opportunity for Tiger tall
Ivan Soldo will get first crack at Richmond's number one ruck role while Toby Nankervis is sidelined for two months with an adductor injury.
IVAN Soldo will get first crack at Richmond's number one ruck role while Toby Nankervis is sidelined for two months with an adductor injury.
Tigers coach Damien Hardwick also forecasted 19-year-old ruckman Callum Coleman-Jones may make his senior debut at some point during Nankervis' absence.
Soldo has played just eight games since his debut in 2017, including only one last year, and will be coming up against one of the competition's most experienced ruckmen on Sunday in Hawthorn's Ben McEvoy.
"We feel [Soldo's] got the capacity to play that role consistently, and then we've also got a young up-and-coming ruckman in Coleman-Jones who we're really excited about as well," Hardwick said.
"The opportunity will be presented to Soldo first and foremost, and hopefully we can give him a good run at it. We feel, for his footy to go forward, he needs the opportunity to develop in the number one ruck role."
The injury flared up again three weeks ago, pushing back his return date, but contrary to some reports, he hasn't suffered a recent setback.
"Once again, I did say at the time, because it was a re-aggravation, we were always going to take that extra time. We just wanted to be extra cautious and made sure we got him back, so he's on track for the North game," Hardwick said.
"He's running at 90 to 95 per cent, so he's thereabouts."
Richmond has named two potential replacements for injured premiership ruckman Toby Nankervis in its squad for Sunday’s twilight match against Hawthorn at the MCG.