Richmond ruck coach Ivan Maric provides an insight into the development of Mabior Chol.
Fourth-year development"He plays such a variety of positions, he can play up forward, down back and in the ruck, and because of his ablility to pick the ball up really well off the ground he can do most things which is really exciting for Marbs."
Pre-season focus "Playing as a key position player you need to play physical and you also need to be really fit to work up and down the ground, so those sorts of things are right up there with his priorities."
His best suited position"I think his best position is a forward that can go into the ruck as a second ruckman. He's got some really strong agility and is pretty hard to defend at times. So I think pinch-hitting into the ruck, being someone like Paddy Ryder, and using that athleticism."
VFL round two performance"We were really pleased. He was picking the ball off the ground and snapping, had some physical marking contests, and was actually going into the ruck and sticking his knee into the opposition ruck which was really good."
His personality and leadership"He likes having a bit of a laugh out there...Marbs is a great guy and he's very enthusiastic."
Contested marking development"It takes time, you've got to spend all those years in the weights room as well, which helps that, and builds that belief. I don't think he'll ever stop working on it, it's something that you need to continually train and practice and try to master, so he's on the right path."
Gym work and physical growth "It's a fine line, you don't want to get too big because his agility is his strength, he needs to maintain that and he needs to be strong as well. He's got to find that balance between weight and strength."
https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2019-04-16/coaches-corner-mabior-chol
