Canberra product Ivan Soldo set to make AFL debut for Richmond TigersCaden Helmers
The Age
6 May 2017When Ivan Soldo stood next to his cousin and Richmond Tigers ruckman Ivan Maric for a photo, never could he have imagined it would launch an AFL career.
The former basketball player from Canberra had barely laid boot to ball outside of gala days playing for Daramalan College but was keen to try his hand at Australian rules.
Soldo told his cousin Maric he was thinking about having a crack and before long the Richmond cult figure was rushing to show club officials a photo of the two together - at 204 centimetres and 106 kilograms, Soldo is the bigger cousin.
Now the Western Bulldogs will have to contend with the 21-year-old's sizeable frame in his AFL debut at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
"When I was playing basketball everyone was like 'he could play, he could be a ruckman'," Soldo said.
"That was a little joke at the start but I actually wanted to play. But then they were like 'if he's committed to it, let's see how he goes in the next couple of years'.
"It was weird circumstances, but it's all working out now. A lot of the blokes here in Melbourne have been playing since they were four, footy is pretty crazy here. It's nuts."
Soldo edged out his cousin in the race to fill the shoes of first-choice ruckman Toby Nankervis, who is unavailable through suspension, but laughed that's only because he was "the tallest bloke available".
Soldo has excelled in the VFL and had a hunch all week he was going to play, but it still made for a "pretty cool" feeling when his teammates started jumping all over him after the announcement.
He wasn't concerned by the prospect of playing against the reigning premiers - the only worry he had was trying to keep all of his lunch from hitting the floor.
"I was having my lunch so I had to make sure [the boys] didn't jump on my plate, because everyone was coming from all angles," Soldo said.
"It hasn't been easy but I've embraced every challenge and I just enjoyed all the bad times and all the good times. It's been a bit of a trek, a bit of a journey that's for sure."
Soldo made his way to Punt Road as a category B rookie 2014 and was named to make his AFL debut against the reigning premiers just hours after being elevated to the senior list.
He has certainly come a long way since filling in for Daramalan College's 3rd XV rugby team at Viking Park on a Friday night four years ago.
"Rugby was fun because I was pretty heavy back then because I wasn't going to the gym and that," Soldo said.
"So rugby was easy… then you compare it to footy - far out, so much running."
He will receive some support from recalled tall utility Todd Elton in the battle against Bulldogs ruck Tom Boyd, who is looking to rediscover his stellar form that guided the Bulldogs to a premiership last year.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/richmond-tigers/canberra-product-ivan-soldo-set-to-make-afl-debut-for-richmond-tigers-20170505-gvz103.html
