Ivan Maric's Footy Factory builds the Tigers (Age)

[one-eyed]

Snap Shot: Ivan's Footy Factory builds the Tigers

By Peter Ryan
The Age
September 15, 2020 — 2.36pm

Forget Royce, Richo or Dusty, Richmond should build a statue outside Punt Road at the end of this season named 'Ivan' to honour the rich vein of talent Ivan Maric has introduced to the Tigers since he arrived from Adelaide in exchange for pick No.37 in 2011.

The conga line of acquisitions the Tigers have snared under the most casual of policies – politely enquiring who Maric is accompanied by any time he is spotted entering the club – has continued to grow.

His cousin Ivan Soldo signed as a category B rookie in 2014. The ruckman played in last year's premiership team but is unfortunately out for the rest of this year after doing his knee against Geelong on Friday night.

Then came Noah Balta, who as a youngster had known Maric hanging out at St Alban's soccer club.

Balta's dad, also named Ivan, was happy when the Tigers called out his son's name at 25 in the 2017 national draft. Noah was rapt but surprised, later joking on Fox Footy: "Did something dodgy just happen?"

Balta's emergence as a key defender this season has been outstanding with the Tigers barely missing a beat following Alex Rance's retirement.

Then last week the Tigers signed Mate Colina as a category B rookie. Colina, the former basketballer who stands at 213 centimetres, is Balta's cousin and rates Maric as one of his mentors in life. His Dad's name? Yep, no surprises there, it's Ivan.

If the Tigers can snare a premiership in the next decade with Soldo, Balta and Colina all in the team the club can reflect on how it all started with the far from terrible idea of snaring Big Ivan.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/snap-shot-ivan-s-footy-factory-builds-the-tigers-20200914-p55vl1.html