Goodbye Mabior Chol

[TigerForce]

Just saw the video interview with Chol on RFC website. Speaks really well and clear with no nerves and is ambitious. This kid has a massive upside on skill and determination. I really hope he builds and becomes a senior for us in the next 5 years.

 

[tigerdave]

If he settles and doesn't get homesick we've got something to work with here.

Said back in June he was someone to keep an eye on - Francis obviously took note! ;D

 

[bullus_hit]

just to clarify, the cats drafting a 29yo ruckman with 0 games experience = good list management and the tigers drafting a 30yo ruck with 8 games = bad list management. have i got that correct?
the cats also replaced Stephenson with a 28 yo ruck, on their senior list, who had played 8 games over the previous 2 seasons, and then played zero games in 2013. was this good or bad list management?

Not suggesting all their decisions have been sound, but two wrongs don't make a right. We would have been better recruiting Cameron Wood if the truth be known, it may have even prevented us from scrambling around to find a suitable back-up for Ivy. The management of our ruck stocks has been very ordinary, no amount of spin can canvas over that fact. I'm just hoping that Maric & Hampson can hold it together until Chol steps up.

Not quite the same list though for us. Geelong have had multiple rucks, vardy, Macintosh, Simpson. They are able to take a punt on a rookie. For various reasons, we've not been able to get into that position.
I think the strategy was as previously stated. Get some mature bodies to help the kids when they break down. Glad we're not in that situation any more. As long shots as these kids are, it's far more interesting and exciting.

There were so many other options yet we settled on the 30 y/o who was destined to be delisted soon after. Our ruck situation is still perilous, not sure how we'll fare considering Ivy will be the wrong side of 30.

 

[btoz_01]

For such a long thin pelican he certainly looks smooth, co-ordinated n balanced. Obviously lots of growing n developing to do for senior footy, but there might be some interesting highlights along the way.

Whats with the pelican reference? they are short creatures
Thought it would be more like an ostrich

Good luck Mabior look forward watching you play

 

[fastin bulbous]

Real smooth mover

 

[Sintiger]

Real smooth mover

He runs with that effortless gliding run that categorises so many of the African athletes.

 

[French Tiger]

Has a nice kick on him as well

 

[TigerMasochist]

Whats with the pelican reference?

Old joke from way back when I was a young fella, we used to refer to really tall skinny bean pole kids n players as a long streak of pelican *smile*, as in dropped from a great height n streaking down a wall or the side of a truck. Probably irrelevant on here but it's one of those snippets that just stayed in the back of the head.

 

[Chiang Mai Tiger]

Has a nice kick on him as well

Sorry but this is the only image of our late, great Bill Morris' kicking action I could find on the net.

First thing i thought about when I saw that video of Mabior kicking the ball at Richmond training was Bill.

Such grace and balance for a left footer, god we will be blessed if this kid can be half as good as Bill was.

 

[MB78]

He runs with that effortless gliding run that categorises so many of the African athletes.

That's what I noticed as well. He will be a running machine.

 

[rinso17]

For a kid this size his skills are elite.
The hard part will be FOCUS&COMMITMENT. That is what separates acheivers from the rest.

 

[TigerMasochist]

For a kid this size his skills are elite.
The hard part will be FOCUS&COMMITMENT. That is what separates acheivers from the rest.

Lets also pray he has a football IQ so he can understand n learn the tactics n patterns required at AFL level.
Majak Daw for all his skill, athleticism n heroic physique still struggles to understand the context of the game. Read an article the other day about how Carey doubted he'd play fifty games just after he'd kicked six against the doggies ( I think ) a few years back simply because Majak didn't understand the game. Carey got bagged out at the time by plenty of the experts yet a few years later Majak has still played only a handful of games for little more result than some brilliant highlights.

 

[rinso17]

Daw was a late starter to the game where Chol is not.
Chol has a comprehensive development history so would have an acceptable understanding of the game for an 18 year old kid.
If apart from the obvious love of the game he must have, he is mature enough to understand the impact as a community leader he can have, like his hero Adam Goodes like Bashar Houli like Jim Stynes like Shane Edwards, could be the inspiration to devote himself to his AFL career so as to be admired by other immigrants and The general community alike.

CMON CHOL!!! An. Incredible and far reaching opportunity is at your feet.

 

[puregreen]

There were a couple of subtle moves in that clip that showed that he has an awareness and movement about him that Daw doesn't really possess. Scope for improvement could see him really come on now that he 's in the AFL system. Sounds like a pretty grounded lad as well, probably comes from his father being a local leader in their community.

 

[tigertim]

It'll be interesting to see who of the Sudanese become the breakthrough AFL player. wont be Daw but will it be Chol or Nyon or Wlliams ....or someone else all together?

 

[caesar]

Also Chol went through the Brisbane academy so should come reasonably well schooled in the game. Why the hell did Brissy not select him? Also Gach Nyoun not going untill the rookie draft. What was the hesitation in drafting these boys given their physical and athletic traits, especially given the supposed shallow draft. I suppose we only get to see the highlights package but geez it is more exciting than rookieing a Ben Nason midget or Thomas plodder type, (to be fair on Thomas he did serve a purpose and gave 110%). Am as excited about going to watch the VFL games next year as i am about ones.

 

[turk-d-tiger]

If only Chol was 7-8 cm taller - Wow

Hope the kid makes it he looks really promising and i would actually love to see him become a KPD that can ruck combined with Griffiths & Vickery who are fowards that ruck we would not really need a dedicated ruckman

 

[K3]

If only Chol was 7-8 cm taller - Wow

Hope the kid makes it he looks really promising and i would actually love to see him become a KPD that can ruck combined with Griffiths & Vickery who are fowards that ruck we would not really need a dedicated ruckman

Males don't stop growing until they are 21-22, so he should still shoot up a bit more over the next few years.

 

[TigerMasochist]

Why the hell did Brissy not select him? Also Gach Nyoun not going untill the rookie draft. What was the hesitation in drafting these boys given their physical and athletic traits, especially given the supposed shallow draft.

Guess like all things there's a massive reluctance to venture outside the usual comfort zone and experiment, even more so when it could be a waste of time n money in a tight n restricted competition.
The Irish play Gaelic footy which has many similarities to Aussie rules, even now still very few Irish kids make a successful transition.
Clubs have been looking at former basketballers, even some who have had a history of junior footy still struggle to transition back into elite Aussie rules.
There's a couple of American athletes n a Canadian rugby player have tried the transition n so far Majak Daw is still struggling to become a regular senior player.

Plenty of kids who play the open free wheeling development style of footy all their lives struggle to step up to the requirements n structures of AFL level footy, we see it every year. Not surprised that Gach n Mabior didn't get picked up until the rookie draft, it's only the first steps down the AFL pathway for the kids of this heritage. Bit of first generation factor, if there's a couple of kids can impact over the next few drafts then things will get interesting.

 

[caesar]

Reasoned answer TigerMosochist let's hope our boy Mabi opens up that pathway.