Mabior Chol a bolter for Richmond’s in Round 1 blockbuster against CarltonSam Edmund
Herald Sun
March 3, 2016 SUDANESE rookie Mabior Chol has emerged as a Round 1 bolter for Richmond’s season-opening blockbuster against Carlton.
Punt Road’s newest cult hero has thrust his name into senior contention with two encouraging NAB Challenge showings against Fremantle and Hawthorn.
Chol, who fled war-torn Sudan for Egypt with his family as a two-year-old, only took up the game seven years ago after moving to Brisbane. But he has caught the eye with his athleticism and skill in his first months at AFL level.
Richmond assistant Brendon Lade, who stood in as senior coach for the club’s opening two pre-season matches, said he liked what he’d seen from the 18-year-old in a forward-ruck role.
“He’s got all the athlete traits you could want in a footballer,” Lade told SEN radio.
“We’ve got to keep reminding ourselves he’s only 18 years old (19).
“He’s playing a role for us at the moment in our forward line. And, if he keeps doing that, he could be a chance for Round 1.”
Richmond had set no expectations on the raw 198cm left-footer since nabbing him with pick 30 in the rookie draft, but Chol is forcing a rethink.
His numbers haven’t been prolific, but there’s been glimpses of brilliance in the air and on the ground.
Only the post stopped him from kicking an electrifying running goal against the Hawks, while his marking and crumbing snap against the Dockers drew praise from greats Jason Dunstall and Gerard Healy in the Fox Footy commentary box.
“He has been one of the stories from a Richmond perspective,” Dunstall said during the NAB 1 match.
“To see a bloke of that height be able to pick the ball cleanly up off the ground is a very good sign. He’s not just a kick-mark player.”
Chol arrived at Richmond after spending two years with the Brisbane Lions Academy.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/mabior-chol-a-bolter-for-richmonds-in-round-1-blockbuster-against-carlton/news-story/8df703a43a626bd2fbf3dd91c3b8b535-----------------------------------------------
There's also an article in the Herald-Sun about Chol being now one of the five Sudanese kids on AFL lists and how this number will grow significantly over the next 25 years.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/majak-daw-led-the-way-now-new-wave-of-sudanese-talent-taking-over-at-afl-level/news-story/e1ebd199234ec175becd2978d5ddeb79